Dear Nishadi,

So Nishadi was a little upset that I tried not to write about her, so now I will throw that away and try to write about her and if she's embarrassed about it maybe it will be good for her. So Nishadi I just want you to know you're my favorite and soon all the work you are putting in will be worth it.

You and your family are a blessing to me, giving me a place to stay while we save money. And even though this long distance stuff is the worst, you are the best at it and I am the luckiest person that you would want to be with me the rest of your life.

CHUMBLE SPUZZ

This was a little pick-me-up for me today:

Music from the heart

So I heard South Mac is starting to use instruments. This was sad news for me. Not because I think God doesn't want us to use instruments to worship, or it's a salvation issue, or that the lack of a mention of instruments in the new testament is supposed to mean to not use them, etc... but because that's how I learned what little I know of music and I feel like I am a part of the reason some kids won't get to grow up learning like I did.

Do you know what perhaps the saddest part of the whole Bible is to me? It happens when Joshua dies in Judges 2. Joshua is someone who Moses - who the Lord knew face to face - laid his hands on. And then Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua, while he was leading them. So Joshua is doing a lot of things right. Then you get to a little verse in Judges 2, which is the worst verse to me: After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 

How could there be such a big contrast between two generations that overlapped living at the same time? It doesn't matter what you do, good or bad, THIS TOO WILL PASS. This makes passing on learning from one generation to another so important. By leaving the acappela tradition, I am passing down a little less of what was passed down to me.

Now that's out of the way, here's why I am a fan of the move. It is SO much easier for new people to feel welcome imo - and this is extra important to me since I have been looking for a new church in Houston cold turkey and have had some trouble feeling welcome in several places. Blast that guitar up to 11, I got plenty of other junk to pass on to the kids younger than me. This is the church moving towards King David dancing in the streets and away from the conservative religious rules Jesus spent his ministry pooping on. If it is really that much harder to be intentional about teaching music to kids then we weren't really being intentional about it when services were acapela either.

Here is a question that made me rethink a previously negative stance on adding instruments: When you are standing there in either type of worship service, what should you be focusing on? Judging other people whether they don't seem to be truly worshiping (whether getting into the worship too little like barely singing or not singing joyfully, or getting into it too much like clapping, dancing or raising hands)? Should anyone's worship depend on how other people are worshiping? How does a concert negatively affect your worship?

Here is where my questions kind of hit a snag - why does the band have to be in the front on stage? I don't have a good reason, and I'd guess everyone might be better served by putting the worship-guides to the side and placing more attention on the words. But if you are thinking about the band on stage doing it for attention, I'd guess you are judging them by what you think their intentions are and judging yourself by your actions. If you did it the other way around I know you could find some fault with your own intentions and see that their actions are commendable. If people didn't commit themselves to worship the same because they are paying attention to the band, well then that's a problem, but it's not necessarily a problem with the band. Which style gets more people to focus on worship?

If you can't hear yourself over the guitar - good, now you don't have to worry what your voice sounds like you can worry about what your heart sounds like. Or sing a little bit louder because you don't have to worry about the guy next to you hearing. Enjoy it because it's just another way to experience worship!

So there now there are no logical arguments why to ever go back to acapela. YOU WILL BELIEVE ME

Long Awaited Return

So I know you have been waiting feverishly for me to continue to update you, and your patience has not been in vain! I am back and will hopefully continue to use a couple minutes every now and then. My life right now is so different than it was the last time I updated, here's a 1 sentence overview - I'm an engineer at Ao Manufacturing in Conroe and I'm getting married on February 16 nbd.

relevant websites:
My wedding website
My company's website that I made