Give Us This Day

I thought I'd freak everyone out and actually do a quick post, since I've been kinda missing in action for...well, a while.
"Give us this day"--it seems pretty simple. It's even almost redundantly emphasized in the most repeated prayer of all time, as it reads "...give us this DAY our DAILY bread...." I'm learning more about what it means to have provision as I actually need it. I've always tried to be the plan way out guy (or sometimes the way-out plan guy, maybe), and do things as safely as humanly possible. As our plans go different directions than intended, it gives God yet another opportunity to step in and show His power.
Interestingly, looking further at scripture, it's often God's plan to step in at the last moment, when things appear to be going quite badly for his children as they do EXACTLY what He instructed. I'm sure some stories come to your mind from both the Old and New Testament.
In fact, Jennifer and I came across another one of those last night in Exodus 5, where in verse 22 and 23, it says, "Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."
He had no idea what was about to come and the deliverance God would bring, if Moses remained faithful to the call.
I wonder what would have happened of Moses had actually given up. It might not have turned out so well. It makes me think that as we're given clear direction from God, we probably shouldn't give up either, no matter what the opposition seems to bring.

All We Like Sheep

Noah and I were reading Psalm 100 this morning, and he got a little tripped up on the sheep bit ("...but dad, we're not sheep...).

Being a good dad, I decided to explain this one to him:

"Noah, what does a shepherd do for sheep?"

"Feed them?"

"Yes."

"Water?"

"Yes."

Simple things like this went on for a bit, when we got to the protection aspect:

"Noah, what would a shepherd do if a sheep got lost?"

"Call 911?"

"right...uh...what else might he do?"

"maybe use a sheep tracking invention?"

Welcome to the 21st century Bible analogies....

Conviction

WOW. I’ve been at the Xenos Summer Institute for the last 3 days with the likes of Mark Driscol, D.A. Carson, Mark Mittelberg, Dennis McCallum, Gary DeLashmutt, etc. Tonight is the last session, and I am utterly exhausted, but this has been really good for me.
Some big things I’ve taken away at this point:
-I am both very convicted and very affirmed.
-as a whole, the church in our country is (generally) in a very scary state of both rapid decline and a turn away from the truth of the gospel.
-we cannot pretend to live in ignorance of the changes taking place, and must seek God with a whole heart, living in a place of humility and repentance
-people need Jesus. The gospel IS relevant. Jesus IS relevant.
-I need to be led by the Spirit of God, with a heart of compassion for the thousands of people all around me who need the love of Jesus.
-I need to do a better job of making disciples.
-The gospel must remain central (I recently heard it said that “the gospel is both the milk and the meat”.) to all we do—both in us personally, as well as the message that we take to the world around us.
-I'm very thankful for my local faith community, where I have freedom to ask a lot of questions as we continue on our journey. God is leading us. It is exciting.
-I really need a nap.

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

So, I've been asked a bunch lately when to start a child with singing lessons...below I've copy/pasted the most recent email reply to the question...in case one of you might be wondering my thoughts on the subject. This is from a parent of a 4 year old girl (or so) who constantly is singing around the house. I'd really appreciated dialogue on this one, if any of you have any other thoughts on the subject....

It sounds like she needs to begin learning MUSIC, as she already knows how to sing. I've seen so many bad singing teachers in my life...even on a university level and beyond. Singing teachers CAN be a very good thing, bringing great training, encouragement and a great source of confidence to a student. They can also completely ruin a great gift, or, on the flip-side, completely fabricate/mislead a non-gift, leading to thousands of potentially wasted dollars, and a lot of pain on multiple levels.
For these and other reasons, for the time being, I would recommend beginning to teach her music theory when you feel that she's ready. The easiest starting place, in my opinion, is to begin with a good piano teacher (or a stringed instrument of some kind). With pianos and stringed instruments, one has the ability to clearly see intervals as they're played, unlike instruments like a flute, trumpet, clarinet, etc., which are much less visual. I would go to a teacher or a place that will agree to eventually implement some sort of music theory curriculum--where your daughter would begin to have an understanding of what is really happening when her voice sings higher and lower, or longer/shorter, etc. Read my blog entry called Tribute , and it will give you some things to look for in a teacher. Also, don't hesitate to switch teachers, if you feel like the things you're hoping for are not being accomplished. Well, that's what I've got for now.
Regarding age, I've seen kids start with the "Suzuki" method (one option for training for you--not the only one, though) before they can talk...there are a lot of studies on it, and starting too soon doesn't hurt. Just don't turn into a freakazoid, way out of proportion music Nazi with a little one...do everything in moderation. The best and most fulfilled musicians are (in my opinion) those who have developed a legitmate love for their art, not just highly trained performers.

Elmo's World

When I was a little boy, I would occasionally go over to my Uncle Elmo's house with my dad. (Great) Uncle Elmo lived a little less than mile away from our house, I would guess, through the woods and over a big hill if you're hiking--about a 5 minute drive, though, around the woods and hill. He lived in a very small (like the size of my kitchen, literally) one bedroom house. In the house was a small stove, bed, table, a chair or two...I can't even remember if he had a real refrigerator, but let's say that he did....

Uncle Elmo worked the land and loved nature probably as much as anyone alive (although he passed away quite a few years back). He actually had a pond where he would call fish to the bank--no, I'm serious--he would call the fish, "Here, fishy fishy fishy...", and they would come swimming up to the bank for some food or something. Crazy.

I didn't go inside the house much, but remember one day very well. I was standing in the corner when I saw a bunch of ants. I did what most 5 year old kids would do...started stomping. I'd polished off about 5 or 10 of the worthless creatures when I heard a sharp, "What are you doin'?" from across the room. "Those ants are my friends...stop that!" I quickly stopped the slaughter and fell in line behind my dad, wondering what on earth would happen next. Nothing else was actually said about it. I was off the hook--a little scared, though, and definitely curious about the whole "let's be friends with ants" concept.

Noah reminded me of the whole experience this morning as he spotted a couple of the creatures over in the corner. He quickly ran over to the ants in his grammy's house (don't tell her--she constantly tells herself that there's no such things as bugs in houses, I think--oh wait...! Noah just actually caught one in a cup and showed her as I was typing this. Her response--"where'd you find that? Not in the house, I hope!" I told ya...) OK--back to the story. Noah started talking to the ants. He told one of them about his operation and then the trip to Jamestown yesterday. He told the ant about his coonskin cap that he got, with a real raccoon tail. He talked for a while before coming over to me...
"Dad!"

"Yes, my boy."

"I'm going to catch one of those ants for a little bug pet."

"OK"

"Well, first, I'm going to wash my hands so there's no germs on them"

"OK"

"Then I'm going to dry my hands really well so that he doesn't drown" (Noah's always thinkin')

"Good idea"

Noah went on to explain to me how ants are friendly and that "little guys need friends too".

His idea for capture was to go get some human food, because ants love people food, and put it in his hand. Maybe just a little cheese on his finger or something, he said, to trick the ant, and then, he could have the little guy as his friend forever.

Noah has his ant.

Uncle Elmo would be proud.

Jamestown

Jamestown...lots of historical fun, I must say. We saw an Indian (I think I'm supposed to say Native American) village, 3 really cool ship replicas (by "replica", I mean to scale copies, which seemed to have no modern improvements whatsoever in or on the ships, down to the nails used, etc.), the "Jamestown" settlement village, and a LOT of really cool stuff in between. The villages all were completely functional, with a lot of "workers" there to keep things moving along. Things like wood work, canoe building, cooking, garden tending, leather tanning, blacksmith shop, etc. It brought things to life, and was a lot of fun for us and the kids.

A lady explained at one point to Noah how they would make tea out of sassafras roots. It reminded me of being a kid, searching the hillside where I grew up sassafras saplings I could pull up to chop up the root for tea...I wonder if they had microwaves in Jamestown back in the day....

Settle Down

To those of you who have been praying for Noah, I want to offer our sincere thanks.

The last 2 days have been amazing, as we've watched Noah breeze through something that has, in the past, been a very painful and difficult experience. The only difference that we can really figure out is God's choosing to take away pain and grant peace through the situation.

Noah has been feeling pretty well--we've just been trying to keep him settled down all day today, as he feels that he's ready to go back to normal activity (if you'd like to classify our family as "normal", that is).

If he's still feeling this well tomorrow, I'm told we're going to take a trip to historic Jamestown, where we'll see some old stuff. Something about settling and founding a nation or something...good times.

St. Mary's (Hospital) Update

I just got off the phone with the surgeon, who said all is well. Noah was back there for a little less than 3 hours, and I'm told everything went well (mostly best case scenario). I expect we'll be called back to recovery momentarily. Thanks so much for praying for us. Keep it up through the healing process. Hopefully things work out this time--we'll see in a few months!!

Father's Day

OK...I'm not so sure about this, but I got an email this morning (that was supposed to be retrieved a couple of days ago, but I got too busy). It was from my sweet wife, Jennifer, and I'll be in trouble if I don't post it, so here it goes....

Hey,I wanted to surprise you and post a blog about you, but I couldn't remember all your passwords.So, if you would be so kind as to copy and paste this I'd really appreciate it!
Thank You
Ted, since it's your day, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for being such an amazing dad to our 2 kids. I realize this is something I should do EVERY day, but being the nearly (but not quite) perfect person that I am, I sometimes forget. I love that you never leave the house without hugging and kissing the kids and saying "I love you!" I see the way their eyes light up when "daddy's home!" They run for the door and cling to your legs like monkeys, laughing and squealing with happiness! I see the way you play with Noah and make him laugh like no one else can.You understand his personality far better than I do, and you continually nurture his creativity. I enjoy watching you sing and play guitar and piano with him. I've witnessed your incredible patience after many of his surgeries, when I know you were exhausted, but you stayed by his side all night to comfort him as he was hurting. I love nothing more than peeking in his room each night and watching the two of you reading and praying together before his lights go out. I watch the way your tenderly hold Morgen and snuggle with her when she's just waking up from a nap. You're protective of your little girl while allowing her to exert her growing independence. I watch your eyes light up when she comes into the room in her dress-up clothes and runs to your arms yelling "DADDY, I'm a princess!"You are quick to discipline but even quicker to give hugs afterwards. You are always striving to give your family priority, above all else, even when you are juggling a million things on your plate. Your kids know how much they are loved, and that has given them confidence and security. We have two AMAZING children, thanks in large part to you.Thank you for the daddy that you are! Happy Father's Day Ted!
Your kiddos love you, and so do I!Jen

St. Mary's (Hospital)

Arrrgh. I'm sitting at the airport, waiting to get on a flight (not the one that I'd intended to get on). I'll be leaving (hopefully) about 3 hours later than I thought, going through a different city to arrive in Richmond, VA, where my family has been for a week without me (sad, huh?).

My 6 year old, Noah, will be having surgery tomorrow at 7:30am (the surgery time has been moved 2 times now) at St. Mary's Hospital. The surgery is yet another attempt (we've been down this road many times before) to get rid of scar tissue that was a result of a surgery he had as a 2 year old (or so). I would guess we've had at least 10 surgeries for this...it's something that really needs to be figured out, as the scar tissue is internal, and has the potential to cause major urinary tract infections, etc.
If you could keep the situation in your prayers, I'd sure appreciate it. Also, if you happen to be a world class pediatric urologist with some great ideas on what to do, shoot me an email. I'd love to chat....

#40

So, does anyone know of a couple who...

-are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary today
-have 4 amazing kids (well, 3 are amazing...one is average--yes, I'm either being modest, or picking a fight...you decide)

-have 15 grand-children (almost 16)

-have over 50 combined years of public education experience

-are FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) sponsors for Ockerman Middle School

-have been committed for 25 years to a weekly ministry to campers at East Fork Lake State Park and/or Kincaid Lake State Park with Campers for Christ (and are founder and president)

-have a great love for family (especially first-born sons)

-have a love for the outdoors

-love God with all they have

-love music

-have hearts to serve others

-are quick to give to anyone with a need

-only eat raw vegetables (well, at least one of them)

-have a son who can't find a picture of his parents anywhere on his computer, for some crazy reason

Oh, wait! I know a couple like that! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Thanks for being a great example to me and the many others who are privileged to have you as a part of their lives.

Love One Another

I got a letter last week. It was from a lady in California, who I knew from when I was in ministry there at Big Valley Grace Church. Her name is Joyce.
I had sent Joyce a letter and pictures of our kids, etc. a few weeks back--something I'd intended to do for quite some time, actually (like a year, actually), but the day that I finally did it, I knew that I needed to do it that day, for some reason. Her letter back explained to me why.
She was lonely. She was afraid. She needed God to let her know that He cared about her the day she got the letter. He came through, yet again (and always does).
See, Joyce had lost her husband, Norman, exactly one year ago to the day that she got the letter from me (I hadn't put that together at all). In fact, the entire month of May was just a scary time for her. I'm SO THANKFUL that I listened that day, and chose to obey the leading of the Spirit of God. I'm convinced that I miss it SO often....
Something really encouraging for me, while reading her 7 page, handwritten letter (wow--at least this retired school teacher has excellent penmanship!) was the fact that she's connected to a home church type setting, filled with people who love her and care about her, checking in with her on a regular basis. It's interesting how as we look back, we often see that God is placing people in our paths who will help us through what He knows we're about to encounter. The journey through the experiences together strengthen our love for one another, and ultimately builds our faith in God and His plan for our lives. Home churches are a great place for those things to happen. I'm thankful for mine. Maybe you should join us....

American Idol Final 2

OK...no frills or individual song reviews for this final Idol installment.

David and David are both amazing musicians, and I will honestly be very happy with whatever the result is tonight. I like that they're very different from one another musically, and also that they both appear to be genuinely very good guys, which is cool.

My official prediction at this point of the game...The winner is going to be...

Tonight, they will crown the champion:

David.

Happy Birthday to...

Morgen!!!

Yes, my sweet little girl turned 2 TODAY!! We went to Johnny Buccelli's for lunch (where the nice ice cream lady gave Morgen a lot of extra scoops and toppings!!), and we later gave her a LOT of presents to unwrap! Some of her favorites were "my little pony", a little stroller for her dolls, a pair of sunglasses, etc. We also got her a bunch of balloons (what kid doesn't love balloons?), some with her favorite things on them--princesses!! She seems to love princesses these days...she's convinced that she is one, I think. Me too....

Tribute

This past Saturday night was pretty special. This was the final concert for Dr. Randy Wolfe as the director of the Cincinnati Boychoir. It's been a lot of years since I've seen him (well over 10, I"m sure). Pictured here is Dr. Wolfe with me, my brother Tyler, and my big sister (yes, she's standing up), Tricia.
During my growing up years, my siblings and I (my younger sister, Toni is not pictured here) spend a ridiculous amount of time with this musical giant. Every Saturday morning, while most kids were deep into cartoons, we got to wake up at about 6:30am to be at his house by 8am (nearly an hour away). We all took piano and voice lessons from him...brings back some horrible memories of having to listen to my siblings practice (ha!).
Some things that make a good teacher:
(Dr. Wolfe was truly all of this and then some)
-excellent at their skill (I don't want to learn from someone who doesn't have a clue)
An amazing pianist, with numerous awards and accomplishments under his belt, nobody on the planet would ever question his abilities. Dr. Wolfe also has quite a good grasp on vocal performance, with an understanding of multiple foreign languages (especially his favorite, German).
-good communicator/charismsa
The ability to keep over 100 boys at a time captive during 2 hour rehearsals for well over 20 years should speak for itself here....
-always learning
The best teachers never "arrive". I still remember the time I told him as a kid that I wished I were as good as he was, so that I would never have to practice. That didn't go down so well....
-cares about more than just the art
Randy Wolfe cares about people--legitimately. If a teacher doesn't love people, keep them away from students. In the end, they will generally bring more harm than good.
-is able to have fun doing it
I can't tell you how many fun memories I have with this guy. He understands this principal well. Too well.
-is honest
There is a balance between being an encourager to your students, and lying to them. This is what makes the auditions for American Idol so incredibly amusing. These people really believe that they're all that, because "my teacher says I'm the best ever...". I still remember the day that Dr. Wolfe got pretty angry with me, basically telling me that I was wasting my talents by not ever practicing, and just coasting because I thought I could get away with it. Honesty. It's a good thing.
-is able to create passion in the heart of a student (most important, in my opinion)
Yes. Most important, in my opinion, is the ability to instill passion in their students. I believe that passion will get a student further than anything else. The student who listens to recordings for hours on end of their favorite musicians, just to figure out exactly how to play or sing it, then goes and practices for twice that amount of time, to make their instrument sound the same way as what they heard...that student is generally going to be good some day. The students who love the art, and is not just playing because their parents are making them do it are generally the ones who will excel the fastest. A good teacher will take a student, whose parents are making them do something, and somehow be able to (sometimes) convert that into a student who loves the art.
I joined the Cincinnati Boychoir in 1986 at age 11, the same year that Dr. Wolfe became the director. Through my years there, Dr. Wolfe took me under his wing, and allowed me to be a leader. Some things he should have never trusted me to do: He trusted me to teach sight reading to boys, etc. (I felt pretty clueless...I just taught the others all of the things that he was teaching me privately--there's another principle here, I'm sure). He allowed me to do "sectionals". He gave me solo after solo. He enrolled me in other things in the community (like the time I auditioned to be Amahl in Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors"). He allowed me to conduct the Boychoir in front of thousands at Cincinnati's Music Hall (among other places), as the "assistant director" at age 14!!!
Yes, there is certainly a big place in my heart for Randy Wolfe. I look up to him as the person who invested in my musical foundation more than any others (outside of my parents, who were the ones who actually committed all the time and dollars to make all of the above happen--thanks mom and dad!). Thank you Dr. Wolfe for all you've done for me, and for countless others. Your love for God and people shines through all you do. May God continue to direct your steps in the days to come.

American Idol Top 3

I can't believe we're already at the top 3 here....

OK 3 songs each--I feel like it's going to be another rushed show.

David Archuleta

"And So It Goes"--one of my favorite Billy Joel songs, and one of my favorite melodies of all times, really. Thanks for choosing it, Paula (since I know you read my blog). I sit and play this one at the piano often. OK--I wish he would have let the melody stand on its own more. There were too many licks for me (although they were all clean). Well done. Oversung. Great job.

"With You"--I don't know the song (and didn't like it all that much). He did a great job, though, as always. Not amazing.

"Longer"--again--more licks than necessary, especially at the beginning. Well done, though. Abrupt ending, again. I hate feeling rushed in this show....

Syesha Mercado

"If I Ain't Got You"--I'm glad Randy chose this song, to let us hear something a little different on her voice. She's singing it very well.... Yet again, I will say that she has enormous potential to be an amazing vocalist (far beyond being extremely good, which she is). Great job, Syesha.

"Fever"--She'll probably do well with this song. I don't really like the personality that's starting to come out with her all that much in the interaction with Ryan, etc. It's good that she's feeling comfortable, though, I guess. I LOVED the wah pedal on the guitar, and it was a good choice to bring the upright bass guy out, as that is the critical instrument through the song. I feel that she did better than the judges let on, but it wasn't amazing. This is just the kind of song that a musical theater buff would pick.

"Hit Me Up"--don't remember hearing this song before (but evidently, I guess I did, since I remember suffering through the "Happy Feet" movie). Lots of pitch problems through the song. It really didn't feel like a song for her to me. Bad song choice, I think. Too bad for Syesha.

David Cook

"The First Time Ever Saw Your Face"--Good job. It's about what I though he would do. It felt like the end was a little much, but it seemed that the crowd loved it. I do like that he branched out, and did something a little different with it...let me take the opportunity to say that what these contestants pull off every week is borderline miraculous. Not only do they maintain incredibly busy weeks, but they have to learn new songs, and sometimes pull off originality in arrangements, etc. Kind of tough for a professional musician, let alone an actress, bartender and high school student....

"Dare You to Move"-- by Switchfoot (a great band, whose music I've been listening to a bunch lately)--It was pretty good. I could have picked a better song by Switchfoot for him. Paula was right--you can't really present a song like that completely in less than 2 minutes. It's kind of unfair to them, but it's a level playing field.

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"--Neat Beatles vibe to it, with the string ensemble and all at the beginning. He's going to make it go huge at the end. You can tell that he's just keeping it small to give it somewhere to go...I told ya so...there it goes. One of the marks of a good musician is being able to keep something very simple at times in order to go somewhere else with it later. CONTRAST makes things pop. It seems so simple, but MuSiCiAnS often don't get it. Hopefully, you understand what I'm getting at here. I'm making my own eyes go buggy, trying to demonstrate the point. Great job, David.

Tomorrow night--Syesha is going home. See ya!

Noah's Mother's Day Special Edition entry

Today, I'm featuring a special guest artist, displaying Mother's Day art and a note to Jennifer from the artist(you'll quickly discover what he was watching on the tv as this was done):

Happy Mother's Day, mom.

I think I got a new surprise for you. Some day, would you like to go see The Munster's at the studio, and make them our new friends, and meet some of them?
I want to make you breakfast, instead of you making breakfast. Maybe you could watch The Musters with me. But don't be too late, because it might be over. Oops. It's over, and you can't watch it, and that's bad. The show's over. That's bad. Really bad.
So I have an idea...when we go see The Muster's, we can ask them to do a show again.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love, Noah

Below is the inside of the card above.



This picture is an alien. The green glob is his daddy. They're standing on a space hill.

American Idol Top 4

Just a quick review of the show, as I just watched it...

1st round was won by David Archuleta. (and Jason C. was not nearly as bad as they said.)
2nd round was lost by Jason Castro (oops!), and probably won by David A (or Syesha, actually).
David Cook somehow kind of disappeared tonight, which will not be to his advantage at all.

Syesha is vocally infinitely better than Jason Castro, although I'd probably rather to to his concert, as he seems to be a really good musician in general, and I just like him. Jen thinks that Jason and Syesha will be bottom two. I think that Jason will be going home tonight for obvious reasons. Joining him in the bottom 2 will be the major upset of David Cook (although he's safe). I think Syesha and David A will be the top 2 tonight. We'll see shortly!

Time For a Change

What on earth just happened to my blog???

Well, my good friend Beckie Farrant is in town visiting us (with her son, Isaac). They left daddy, Tim, back in Indiana for this trip. I got home from a busy day, and Beckie said (within minutes), "Hey Ted, let's do something new with your blog--it's so boring." (or something like that) Nothing can motivate me like calling something I'm doing boring, so we were off.

A little background: Tim, Beckie, Jennifer and I were all at Liberty University at the same time. I was actually a part of the team that assisted Beckie in making the decision to head for Liberty out of high school in Chicago. Not long after my Liberty years, they came out to join us at Big Valley Grace Community Church in Modesto, CA. Beckie landed there as my assistant, and Tim was one of the youth pastors. We've been through much together. (Including the day that we nearly killed eachother--literally--while our competitive natures took over during a board game...our spouses grounded us from "games" for a while after that one--ugggh.).

For quite a while now, Beckie has exercised her creative side non-stop, in as many ways as a stay-at-home mom possibly could, I think. Combine that with learning some html stuff...we've got a monster on our hands, here.

Check her out over at infarrantly creative. Learn a lot.

Minnesota

Well, I'm off to Minnesota tomorrow--Minneapolis (which means the city of abundant law enforcement in Shawnee--OK. Not really, but it should). That to say...NO Idol review this week from me (probably). I know...you're all heartbroken EXCEPT for those who recently asked me if I would ever write anything except Idol again. Yes--and here it is. I will write about not being able to write about it.

Seriously, though--I'm headed to MN for a one day trip to meet with a company called Search America, with whom I'm partnering in one of the business start-ups that I'm working on right now with my brother, Tyler (and another guy named Tony). I'm praying for wisdom, discernment, and guidance for the trip. Join me. (please)

American Idol Top 5

Neil Diamond night (or morning, in my case, as I didn't get home 'til past midnight last night).

Let's get to it.

Jason Castro

"Forever in Blue Jeans"--great song choice, and very good performance. Interesting that his guitar was ENTIRELY out of the mix. Well done.

"September Morn"--Didn't like it that much. It felt a little too forced for him to me--especially the staging, key change and all.

David Cook

"I'm Alive"--Interesting that his guitar was also entirely out of the TV mix (but he did a great job making it look like he was playing the actual lead riff--ha!). I didn't like it that much, really. It was OK.

"All I Really Need is You"--Better than the first song, for sure. Not amazing, but much better than the first, and solid. Good job. The drum fill into the chorus, and big chorus feel made the song.

(FYI, the AC stands for Adam Cook--his brother, battling brain cancer)

Brook White

"I'm a Believer"--Didn't like it all that much. It's a little to happy-go-lucky-ish and shallow for her. (and all these songs are feeling way too rushed right now--they should have just stuck with one song, and done it right, instead of flying through stuff)

"I Am I Said"--I'm surprised that she's back on the piano, honestly. Good for her, though. She seems to be back in her groove. Much better than the first song. I liked it (although it still felt rushed, because there's not time to really complete the songs). Good job, Brooke.

David Archuleta

"Sweet Caroline"--I really like the switched up feel on this song a lot this week. It felt very good to me. Well done, David.

"America"--I loved the guitar riff at the beginning. Great song choice for him, for sure. Good performance (exactly what I expected).

Syesha Mercado
"Hello Again"--Really safe choice for her. She did it just fine. Not bad. Not amazing.

"Thank the Lord for the Night Time"--Well, she's back in her musical theater groove, which works for her (although it's not what I would choose to listen to frequently). Great vocal. Good job. Broadway superstar to be, maybe.

I'm with Simon--Syesha may be in trouble, HOWEVER, this is anyone's game at this point. Strange things often happen at this stage of the game. My guess is that Brook and Jason will join Syesha in the bottom 3.

Angels Watchin' Over Me

It's pretty interesting that one of my favorite paintings is by ?? painted in ??--I'm sure none of you know who actually painted this (feel free to correct me here). It's one of my favorites because it was on the wall of one of my sibling's bedrooms growing up. I can remember staring at that thing for long periods of time, thinking...are there really angels? Do they really protect me like that? Of course, in my case, angels were there to protect me from my younger brother, Tyler, who manageed to shoot me through the thumb, knock me down with the claw of a hammer to the eye-socket, something about a throwing knife that I can't seem to remember completely, etc. (we played with interesting items, it appears).
So what is your favorite painting? Favorite artist? Anyone?



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American Idol Top 6

Andrew Lloyd Webber night--WOW!! The musical theater guru himself. He's written a lot of WEIRD stuff, but a lot of amazing stuff as well, of course. I was actually listening to a bit of his Requiem yesterday (not realizing that this was coming tonight). I'm really interested to see what on Earth most of these contestants are going to do with this....

Syesha Mercado--"One Rock and Roll Too Many"--She certainly was at an advantage, knowing Andrew Lloyd Webber music well. Great song choice, and again I'll say--she's really a good vocalist. She could be a Broadway superstar, for sure. She seemed really comfortable singing tonight, and did a great job.

Jason Castro--"Memories"--The interview thing was awesome...now for the song. Probably a good choice for him. He could have pitched it at least a whole step higher, I think, and it would have been better. Still pretty good, and he managed to (mostly) stay true to himself (except for the orchestral arrangement). And yes--this song was originally written to be sung by a cat. (told you he wrote some weird stuff).

Brooke White--"You Must Love Me"--Ugggh. She dropped lyrics and asked to start the song over...wow. I like that she was sitting down most of the song--makes for less awkward movements from her. Well, it could have been worse, but certainly not her best. I feel bad for her (not the first time).

David Archuleta--"Think of Me"--Well, it seemed a bit changed up, just for the sake of changing it up, to be honest. It didn't seem better--almost worse to me, honestly. I still admire his bravery in changing up such a popular song. It wasn't bad, really, but not that good, I think. He's still a great singer, and is safe as can be (of course).

Carly Smithson--"Jesus Christ, Superstar"--Good for ALW to make her change songs from "All I Ask of You". That could have been less good. First--I dislike the song and the musical, as it seems all a bit sacrilegious. That being said, she did a great job singing, as usual. Well done.

David Cook--"The Music of the Night"--Not what I expected. It sounded like Michael Crawford's original to me. Surprise. It was very well performed, in a very musical theater-ish way. Weird. All he needed was a "Phantom of the Opera" mask. The last note was the only thing that was different, really. Good job, David.

OK--Simon hates musical theater. AND...Brooke's gone. I like her (I actually like everyone who is left at this point), but 2 not good performances in a row--I don't think she'll be able to hold on. Joining her in the bottom will be Syesha (although she gave the best performance of the night, in my opinion) and Jason Castro.

Good Times

One word: Facebook (or is that 2 words?). I had a couple of friends ask me recently if I was a facebooker (I'm sure that's not a word at all). Well, I took the plunge, and IS IT CRAZY! It instantly came up with over 100 people who I knew, from high school, college, California, Ohio, etc. When you join facebook, you get to view profiles, with photos, etc., just to get reacquainted with people from your past (or learn more about people from present--sometimes quite scary). Another thing I learned quickly, is that it can also be a colossal waste (or expense might be a better word here) of time, if unchecked.

Everything in moderation....

American Idol Top 7

OK--sorry this is late, y'all. Welcome to Watercooler Wednesday, though!


Today is Mariah Carey day. I'll admit, that I once liked her, in the late 80s/early 90s as a singer. She's not really my style any longer (not sure she was then, but girls liked Mariah, and I like girls...domino effect thing, maybe--uggh....I'm such a sell out....)
David Archuletta--"When You Believe"--I really like that song a lot--loved it the first time I heard it. I think he should have stayed with the melody more on the chorus, instead of doing licks over everything. There will be time for that later for him--not yet though, when he only has one shot at the chorus. Of course, he sounded great, and I think he picked the right song. Good job over all.
Carly Smithson--"I Can't Live"--I would have like a little more reverb on her vocal, actually. Not her fault. It probably wasn't her best, but very very good. She's a great, VERY consistent singer.
Syesha Mercado--"Vanishing"--I'm expecting some great things from her tonight, with Mariah tunes. A little out of tune from the onset, but locked right in after that. Again, I think she could be absolutely stellar after a few more years of vocal maturation. At this point, she's just extremely good. She did a great job tonight. Really. She might be the best vocalist on the show this year, in regards to what she CAN do, but needs some refinement and more time in front of big crowds.
Brooke White--"Hero"--OK--If Brooke's not nervous, I am for her. This will be a big stretch for her, if she in ANY way tries to copy the original. Should have chosen some different chords from the piano. It sounded WEAK at the beginning. And a little throughout, actually. Yikes. She fell apart a bit at the piano in the middle. Probably should have gone with the FULL ORCHESTRA THAT WAS JUST SITTING THERE ON THAT TUNE!! Not very good, however brave it might have been. Paula was right. SO often, when people get a little bit nervous, or something gets wrong, the beat gets faster. She followed suit. Worst so far (although I like her).
Kristy Lee Cook--"Forever"--I'm expecting nothing much. It can only exceed my expectations here. Never having heard that song, It probably fit her as much as any possible Mariah song could have. The steel guitar thing worked for her. She exceeded my expectations. Not bad, really. IF there is any hope of her going anywhere in this competition, she made it a little better tonight. Good for her (but she still doesn't have a hope in the world).
David Cook--"Always Be My Baby"--OK--I'm more eager to hear him than any others tonight...just to see what he's going to do. Good choice for him to have someone else play the guitar tonight, so he can concentrate on vocals, etc. I liked the big toms/strings entrance on the pre-chorus a lot. It got big, and good. I liked the monotone power bgv's--it produces a lot of power in the sound. They should have lived there a little longer, and not gone into parts. Great arrangement. Best of the night, as far as I'm concerned. GREAT JOB DAVID! REALLY well done.
Jason Castro--"I Don't Want to Cray"--IF he doesn't take her advice on the melodic changes, he's an idiot. He needs to keep it simple tonight. Let's see here...great string entrance! I liked the song, over-all. I think he probably SHOULD have kept the guitar, actually (he seems more comfortable with it). Pretty good job, though. Well done, Jason.

Bottom 3--Syesha, Brooke and Kristy Lee Cook. My prediction: there will be an upset as we all watch Brooke leave us tonight. Sad times ahead.

Idol Gives Back

OK...getting in my Watercooler Wednesday post.
(for those tuning in from the Watercooler, if you want my to check out my detailed take on yesterday's Idol show, check out my post from yesterday by clicking HERE)
Let me just throw out there that the opener to tonight's show was AMAZING--great music, great dancing, great lighting, etc. Wow. Those people can DANCE!!
I'm just going to watch the show now, and take it in. Again, thank you American Idol for caring about people other than yourselves. Well done!



Oh--and I want a mic like Snoop Dogg's.

American Idol Top 8

OK...just got back from the first round (played 9) of golf for the season, at Buck Ridge Golf Course (not counting the round in Virginia back in January). I hopped in the "Saints and Sinners" golf league as a sub for when people can't make it (I'm not ready to commit for the entire season). Very fun, and a great group of guys.... Now, for the main event. Top 8!!

Genre: Inspirational week...what does that mean, exactly? Maybe we'll find out.

Michael Johns--"Dream On"--what was the scarf thing? That was weird. Great vocal tonight, up 'til the "up the octave", falsetto part (for some reason, people think that's difficult to do...it's not), which I didn't actually like from him, although the actual notes were spot on. Good song choice, as well. Very inspirational (ha!). (bad chord came from the band toward the end--get it together, band!). Good performance.

Syesha Mercado--"I Believe"--I like her voice a lot (I've said that before, I think). Great song choice, I think. I like her more and more, the more I see her. Her vocal licks were really clean tonight, and although it was a really big song, she handled it great. Her best yet, as far as I'm concerned (and Randy's nuts). This girl nailed it tonight.

Jason Castro--"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"--It seemed like he jacked up the words a bunch (maybe not...just seemed like it). I actually didn't really like the song choice, although I like the original recording of that arrangement a lot. He did a good job for sure, but not great, as far as I'm concerned.

Kristy Lee Cook--"Anyway"--I think she paid the audio engineers to bury her vocals in the mix a little more than usual. Smart. Definite pitch problems. She just doesn't quite have the power needed on a song like that. Not bad, but I've seen her mess songs up way worse than that.

David Cook--"Innocent"--Didn't like his voice at the beginning at all, 'til he jumped up the octave. What a drummer!! I don't know that song, but it's really cool sounding. ("we are all innocent"--what does that mean? we're all guilty) I didn't like the performance that much, really. And the "give back" thing on his hand seemed really gimmicky (although we'll all remember that, I'm sure). Just sing a good song, man.

Carly Smithson--"Show Must Go On"--Great song choice. She is so intense...not as clean a performance as she's done in past weeks. Quite a few "pitchy" spots. She's done a lot better, but she's still an amazing singer, for sure. Not great.

David Archuleta--"Angels"--Great licks at the end. That was the part of the song that I liked. I don't know...I didn't really love the rest of it all that much. I'm not sure if he's confident enough on the piano, really, to focus on great vocals. It was clearly not as good a vocal as it normally is, but very good.

Brooke White--"You've Got a Friend"--What a great song, and certainly "inspirational". She definitely sang from the heart, and did a great job. I really wish it had more originality to it in the arrangement, though. It felt pretty old school to me. That said, I really like her more and more, because she seems so real to me.

Ugggh. It gets tough at this point to guess who's leaving us.... The worst performer there is definitely Kristy Lee Cook. She'll be in the bottom with Michael Johns and Syesha Mercado (although I thought she had one of her best nights tonight). Hopefully KLC will leave, and at that point, we'll have 7 potentially really good performers remaining, to make it interesting for the weeks to come.

I'm looking forward to "Idol Gives Back" tomorrow night. Last year was really cool, and I'm glad they're doing something like that. They really don't have to, but they are. Good for them.

Noah's Song

So, I brought my old home theater speakers (Monitor Audio Silver 5i) upstairs to test out the amp I just bought for Journey--a nice QSC to drive monitors for this weekend's band. I bought it used, so just wanted to be sure it all worked OK. It didn't. It worked AMAZINGLY. I'd forgotten how awesome those speakers are, and with that amp...wow. As you can see, our kids were glued there for a bit, listening as the speakers thumped music into their souls.
I'd come across an old (2002) Watermark (Nathan and Christy Nockels) CD in my iPod called Constant--there's a song called "Seek Me" that I used to love for testing out systems. As the cd continued, though, it got to a song that I'd all but forgotten about. It was a sweet, happy song about their well named son, "Noah". I didn't listen to that song much when the cd first came out. We were struggling a bit at the time with our newborn, called by the same name. I guess it was difficult listening to that kind of song about someone else's journey down a different path than mine.
This time, I listened to the song intently. Suppressing tears, I was reminded of much, and recognized again how much God has given us.
Most specifically, I thought of this past Wednesday, when I took Noah with me to a few stores. The first place, a lawn and garden store, Noah saw some construction guys on the roof. Cool! "Hello friend!", he called to the first guy. Then louder. The man stopped what he was doing, and his countenance quickly changed. With a smile on his face, he called back, "Hey, buddy!" We talked for a bit (and again, as we left the store later). Then off to Home Depot, where the same thing went down with the Home depot guy who works on the contractor purchase side--a big burly man, who was quick to soften when Noah called him "friend". Off to Target next, where Noah talked for a while with one of the employees, who commented on his manners, and seemed to be glowing when she finally pulled away from Noah (who might have kept her there for a few hours). Noah has taught us much. This song by the Nockels' sums it up pretty well. Thanks for the song, Nathan and Christy.

"Noah's Song"
by Nathan and Christy Nockels

Sweet Noah, Your eyes are a window
To all of our childhood dreams
It's almost like we're starting over again
One more trip through this life
With different eyes to see
You're the gift that came to take us back
Cause baby dear, you have the joy we lack
With your tiny hands you touch a different world

Your full of wonder, full of hope
And full of one more chance
For us to see the world again
Like God sees the world

Little lover of God You'd smile at a stranger
You don't think to be careful
How sweet is your love
You'd reach for the most unlovely of creatures
Your love is so unconditional
You're the gift that came to take us back
Cause baby dear, you have the love we lack
With your tiny heart
You'll love a different world
Your full of wonder, full of hope
And full of one more chance
For us to love the world again
Like God loves the world

And a child shall lead them
For such is the kingdom of heaven
Simple faith, simple love
Just because

Little faithful one
You're just like a mirror
Reflecting anything and everything we do
Mirror, mirror oh how you remind us
That we should reflect our Father just the same
You're the gift that came to take us back
Cause baby dear, you have the faith we lack
With your tiny life
You've shown the precious love of God
He's full of mercy, full of grace,
And full of one more chance
For us to daily learn to love Like He first loved us

And a child shall lead them
For such is the kingdom of heaven
Simple faith, simple love
Just because.

There is a Reason

OK...it's getting difficult, keeping up with the song title thing on the blog, but I'm sticking with it. "There is a Reason" is a really cool Alison Krauss song--check it out on iTunes. That being said...
There is a reason these letters are on our island in the kitchen. Jen's working on a project. Anyone want to guess???

American Idol TOP NINE

(I figured if I put her picture up, she might get voted off...let's see if it works)

OK...the "April Fools" edition of American Idol. Bring it....
Tonight's mentor: Dolly Parton--obviously iconic, amazing, high-energy, ageless (literally I think) performer.


Brooke White--"Jolene"--the crooked mouth thing started up for her tonight (someone please tell me if I do that--it's annoying to watch). I didn't like it that much, but it wasn't bad, necessarily. It felt a little sloppy musically (not a tight band or vocal)--just didn't gel. Not bad.
David Cook--"Little Sparrow"--His own arrangement, this time, evidently. Pretty good, but not amazing to me. He's definitely solid. I liked that he played an acoustic guitar this week, and lost the other guitar for a performance.
Ramiele Malubay--"Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"--I feel like I just turned on a Gaither Homecoming video. And (not to knock Bill Gaither--great guy) I enjoyed it about as much (not). Not good. Hopefully, she'll leave soon, although tonight's singing wasn't horrid.
Jason Castro--"Travelin' Through"--My favorite song of the night so far, I think. Great song choice. I like the little pre-chorus sections of the song. He looked comfortable on the stage and the band seemed to gel together.
Carly Smithson--"Here You Come Again"--Definitely not a song written by Dolly Parton. Not my favorite song in the world, but SHE CAN SING LIKE CRAZY. I'd pick her over Celine Dion any day of the week. She's so good. Great job at making an average song sound good.
David Archuleta--"Smoky Mountain Memories"--He's a really good singer. For real. And again tonight, he's so passionate about singing and is able to connect with the songs better than most professionals. He did a great job tonight--it seemed like his upper range was easier for him tonight than in past weeks. Good for him.
Kristy Lee Cook--"Coat of Many Colors"--She's just not a good performer. The song was OK. The thing at the end was not necessary--just a little showy, but not good. Not bad. Not good. She just lucky to still be here, and seems to know it at this point.
Syesha Mercado--"I Will Always Love You"--I didn't realize Dolly wrote that one--wow! That song should keep Dollywood afloat for about another century or so. The white down lighting did horrible things to her hair (sorry). Not very good breath control early on, but a great tone to her voice. The long note thing was just for that-- a long note--not really musical. I wish she had kept it simple, and not done the Whitney key change in the middle. It hurt her, I think.... She's not as good as Whitney. Yet (maybe some day).
Michael Johns--"It's All Wrong, But It's Alright"--Great song choice, I think. A great blues/gospel feel to it. I like that he kept it really simple musically, letting his voice shine (which it did). GREAT, musical guitar player/piano player, too. Great job, over-all.



Leaving us tomorrow night Ramiele or Kristy Lee Cook. I hope.

Sleep Over (with Shrek)

Watercooler Wednesday post (a BIT of a stretch with the guidelines, but there's a movie in the post...and I cooked...it counts....):

OK...so it was just Noah (my 6 year old son) and me. He'd asked--no, begged me a week or so ago for me to have a "sleep over" with him. I told him that we'd put it on the calendar. The day finally came: Easter Sunday night. I made some popcorn (NOT microwave, but I actually made popcorn, with the big pot, oil, some really good seasoning that my sister gave me a while back, etc.--much more satisfaction than throwing a bag in a microwave), poured some root beer, and put on a movie of his choice (we watched Shrek). We made a "bed" of sleeping bag and lots of blankets and pillows on the living room floor.
I learned a few things from it:
1. I love Noah.
2. He loves me.
3. We won't have forever to do this kind of thing--live the moments.
4. Shrek's disgusting ogre-ly manners are hilarious to a 6 year old.
5. Sleeping on the floor all night hurts way more than it used to.

American Idol TOP TEN

OK...we're back with the top 10 now--the group that will get to know one another REALLY well, on tour around the country this summer.

Theme: the year they were born--big range of years, for sure.

Ramiele Malubay--born in 1987 (I feel old)-- "Alone"--great song (she'll probably ruin it). Out of tune out of the gates--pretty sharp. Now flat. Now sharp again. Out of control the whole song, and on the edge of utter disaster in every way musically. While she never completely fell apart, she definitely didn't pull it off. I was right about the "she'll probably ruin it" thing...consider it ruined. Not very good.

Jason Castro--born in 1987--"Fragile"--my favorite song ever sung on American Idol probably...let's see what he does with it. Interesting flamenco sounding twist to it...something I've never heard Sting do with it, but he totally would, I'm sure. I liked it. I would like to have heard the percussion from the band more--maybe some percussionists out on the stage or something, to make it appear more intimate a performance...great performance, though.

Syesha Mercado--born in 1987--"If I Were Your Woman"--I can't believe she did the wacked out baby cry thing again...how annoying. She is much more of a "classic" sounding perfomer. She really does have a great voice, for sure...in 5 years or so, she could be an absolutely amazing diva vocalist. Really good tonight. Her absolute best vocal so far, in my estimation. Well done.

Chikezie--born in 1985--"If Only for One Night"--seems like a great guy... OK--bad song choice, in my opinion.... He didn't do too bad with it though, I guess. Nothing horrible about it, but nothing stand-out amazing either. Average for me.

Brooke White--born in 1983--"Every Breath You Take"--a "Police" song (FYI, Sting/Police are among my favorite from that era)--OOPS! She started in the wrong key vocally, trying to do something cool, by pulling a pitch out of the air. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Probably a bad song choice, for her, actually. I don't know...not my favorite, but better than last week. Not bad. Does she have on a lot of make-up or something...?

Michael Johns--born in 1978 (still younger than me)--"We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions"--Pretty cool opening acapela opening thing, then into a big ending with the next tune. Great song choices. Maybe should have just stuck with one of the two, but still great choices. He did a great job.

Carly Smithson--born in 1983--"Total Eclipse of the Heart"--great song. They could have gotten better bgv's on that tune, for sure (which maybe threw her off a bit). Her usual great job, though. The ending was not at all necessary, and a little showy for no reason at all. Not very musical there. Other than that, solid job.

David Archuleta--born in 1990 (I was 15)--"You're the Voice"--weak start, in my opinion. Kinda weird song choice...But he came into his own for sure. I like the passion that he pours into performances. Maybe the wrong key, as it really stretched him in the middle.... Not bad, but not his best. He's safe as ever, though.

Kristy Lee Cook--born in 1984--"God Bless the USA"--(sorry to say this) I'm so sick of that song (maybe because I've sung it 40,000 times), but it's probably a good song choice for her. The arrangement is EXACTLY the same as the original I think, outside of the key change. She has no originality in her. Some pitch problems, for sure. She's just not good enough, but not as horrific as some of her past performances.

David Cook--born in 1982--"Billy Jean"--I've never even considered that song to be sung anything like that (kind of a waltz). I didn't like it quite as much as the crowd seemed to, but it was certainly really good, and the big note in the chorus was amazing. Great reverb on his vocal from the tech crew. He's a very original performer (probably the most original performer in the lot), and he did a great job tonight. Jennifer hit rewind to hear it again (she really liked it). He's a MAJOR competitor.

Going home tomorrow night will be Ramiele Malubay (and Chikezie may have a tough go tomorrow night).

Leeland Concert (kind of)

Welcome to Watercooler Wednesday.

So, a few months ago, my wife, Jennifer, asked me if I wanted to go to a concert: Casting Crowns. My response was what she expected: no. THEN she told me that Leeland was opening for them. That changed my answer to a big YES.

I first met Leeland Mooring at the 2007 reCreate Conference, in Franklin, TN. He was there with his brother, sister, and parents. I really didn't know much about him at all, but quickly recognized God's Spirit shining through him and his family. They left quite an impact, and I've been kind of following them since.

With the recent release of their new CD, Opposite Way, I was VERY excited about the concert, which I attended the week before last with my brother, Tyler and his wife, Cassey, and my friends Mark and Ilze Calahan. The concert was a bit of a let down, as Leeland did only 5 or 6 tunes before Casting Crowns took over, but it was still great to be there.

One of the songs from the "Opposite Way" CD that is sticking in my mind a bunch lately is called "Let it Out Now". What makes this song stick are phrases like:

"I'm not ashamed to call myself one of Yours, Lord"
"God's looking for a people with passion in their hearts"

"God says who you are, not...."

"Is there anybody different?"

"We're stuck in a system"

Long story short, go to Leeland's website and click on the "listening booth" icon on the right, if you've not listened to them before. If you hate them, blame me for the wasted 43 seconds of life (assuming you'll turn it off quickly).

"Let it Out Now"

It’s like you got to walk like him

Got to talk like her

Got to be like them

Everybody knows you follow the crowd

Or get singled out

But God says who you are

Not the world or movie stars

Don’t you know

He holds the answers in His hands?

We’re stuck in a system

Is there anybody different?

Is anybody listening?

Is anybody listening?

Everyone has their own sound

Let it out now, let it out now

There’s nothing wrong with living loud

Let it out now, let it out now

I’m drawing the line between

Being them or being me

I’m not ashamed

To call myself one of Yours, Lord

But it’s a narrow path

I’ve got to break from the pack

No turning back

No turning back

Yes, God’s looking for a people

With a passion in their hearts

We’re God’s children

We need to shine bright

We need to shine bright

Everyone has their own sound

Don’t you know all God’s children have their sound?

American Idol with FRIENDS

OK...so what's better than watching American Idol? Watching American Idol with great friends. I'm blogging live again, with my friends here at mi casa--Dennis and Carol George, and Mandy Murray (along with Jen, Noah, Morgen and me).

We're down to top 11, and still with the McCartney/Lennon thing--actually Beatles...I'm still trying to figure out the difference, I guess. (On a side note, I'm buying a VOX amp tomorrow for my new guitar...a few of you will get the connection there).

Amanda Overmyer--"Back in the USSR"--She's very good at what she does, for sure. It looked like she had more fun tonight than normal. What a stage set up....who could miss with that, honestly? Still, she's getting a little old to me. I, like Paula, would like to see her do a "vunerable ballad" at some point.
Kristy Lee Cook--"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"--Incredibly better song choice than last week, for sure. She has some real pitch problems, and again, I say...there is no possible way she could win this. That being said, it was better this week than last. Still not good. Should have been very involved, with a lot of energy, but it really wasn't. Not good. Average voice. Average performer.

David Archuleta--"The Long and Winding Road"--He has in ear monitors this week (actually only one). Weird. Great singer. Great performer. He probably could have picked a better song, actually, but great job still. I didn't like the VERY old sounding arrangement much at all (it sounded like something on an elevator if you took away the vocal). It was great still. And he got exactly 3 claps from Simon. Wow.

I want an iPhone. And a Coke.

Michael Johns--"A Day in the Life"--Perfect song choice for him. A little flat on that note--yikes. OK...he's getting back into it. Well, it ended too soon. Maybe not the right song after all. It just didn't work in that small amount of time. Paula is probably right again--iem's (in ear monitors) make a dramatic difference when on the stage, in regards to connection with the crowd (I HATED my first time with them in front of a group of people). But he wasn't wearing them. Too bad--I thought Paula was maybe on to something. I still like this guy.

Brooke White--"Here Comes the Sun"--Noah's comment, "...that's the song from Bee Movie!" OK--the repetitive phrase throughout of the song, "it's all right"--that's about the best I can give her. She again proved tonight why she needs an instrument in her hands or something, to hide her. She looked so uncomfortable to me on the stage, trying to dance or something. It seemed so forced through the whole thing, to me. She needs a guitar. or a piano. or a harp. or a kazoo. Anything to keep her from trying to do something performance-worthy in any other way.

David Cook--"Daytripper"--Much better guitar tone this week--Oh...it's not him. It's a different guitar player. It think he was faking the first guitar bit. But he came in with a voice box for his guitar! Trippy! It felt like a bit of a gimmick, though, for a not really amazing performance. It was solid, but not the greatest to me.

Carly Smithson--"Blackbird"--Great song. Great performance. She is an amazing performer. Really. She seemed to drop a few words at one point, and I wish she could have another run at it, honestly. Really good, though. Simon missed this one.

Jason Castro--"Michelle"--Didn't like the arrangement that much. Or the performance...it seemed like he was kind of laughing at the French a few times, and it felt a little dorky at a few parts, with the arrangement. He could have pulled off a REALLY cool arrangement, I think, but didn't. Not that great. He still could draw a huge fan base, obviously. Simon's comment, "you're not obnoxious." Ah--what a complement.

Syesha Mercado--"Yesterday"--One of my favorite Beatle's songs. Hopefully she doesn't kill it much.... OK-It was pretty good, but for some reason, I wasn't feeling it, so much. The arrangement didn't fit her voice quite enough, I think. She has a GREAT instrument, for sure, but it didn't seem to lock in tonight. She left room for improvement, but good enough to stay on the show, probably.

Chikezie--"I've Just Seen a Face"--Back to average. At best. This one also sounded really gimmicky to me. It seems like he tried to repeat what last week was, and didn't work nearly as well. He also just insulted all the harmonica players in the universe, by trying to tell people that he can pick it up in a few days, and play it on national TV...I don't know. It wasn't that good.

Ramiele Malubay--"I Should Have Known Better"--Not at all. Felt like "Star Search" to me (not a complement). She does have a pretty good voice, but not a good choice of song. Not a good perfomance, really for me.

A let down of a night, really. They need to be a LOT better than this at this point. 2 weeks of Beatles was probably the wrong choice, honestly.

Kristy Lee Cook is leaving, I think, although there are a lot of singers who left an enormous amount of room for improvement for weeks to come.

Confession

Last Sunday, my good friend, Clay Burkle, got an opportunity to teach at Journey (come, join us for Easter next week!) Ok, back to the story.... While addressing Journey, Clay said something that left quite an impact on my week:

"If your view of anything is more vivid than your view of Jesus, then you need new eyes."

"Anything"--Easily defined. It means anything. It could be a problem. It could be money (that could the problem--ha!). It could be your own sin. It could be someone else's sin. It could be someone's approval. It could be work. It could be the pursuit of ______(insert appropriate word here). It could be...well...anything.

It was my new guitar. This week, "anything" was my new guitar/rig. I've been going through downsizing recently (truck being the biggest example). In the process, I decided to get an electric guitar, and I'm going to sell one of my acoustics (net profit and much more versitility as a musician). I'm kind of known for being the guy who can find the best deal on nearly anything (see above definition). In order to do that, I research like a mad man--reading reviews, checking prices everywhere, talking to people about it, etc.

I realized that there was a problem when I laid my head down on my pillow the other night, and all I could think about was guitar stuff--all night (until I got up at 4am and went downstairs to be convicted for the next few hours). I had let that guitar rule me that day--my thoughts, my time, my decisions, etc. It was all about the mighty guitar. I even skipped my morning prayer time that day--not necessarily because of the guitar (it's really not even that great of a guitar), but because of the distraction of not being able to focus on that which is to be the center. It all got out of balance. It's so easy to do (especially in our culture, it seems).

Scripture teaches us to confess to one another. I guess the blogosphere counts. Maybe even extra. Maybe I'll get a new guitar to reward myself for stepping into the light so quickly on this one. I wonder what I'll get...maybe a Fender Mustang. I need to go do some research.

And the cycle starts again....

p.s.

The night where my mind was focused on guitar a song came across my mind from the group Leeleand's amazing new CD (click on the Leeland link, then watch the 2nd "Leeland TV" video, called "Cowboy Bob"--You'll laugh like crazy)

The song that came to mind:

"Enter This Temple"

We are saved in a world that’s lost
All our hope rests in Your Cross

God of strength, our weakness shows

We need You. We need You, Lord.

Father, enter this temple

Come touch Your people

We need to be where You are

And children living as their Father

Washed in pure water

We need to be like You are

We are searching for Your presence

We are knocking on Your door

Let Your wings cover us

with promise for communion, for communion....