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So here it is. It’s been a rough few weeks on this 50 Songs this year challenge. but I cranked one out this morning in GarageBand, and decided to pull out the old trumpet. Haven’t played it in a few years. Forgive the airy tone, but that’s what happens when your chops turn to mud over the years.

Technically, I'm playing a cornet, not a trumpet.

This one is called More Than A Mile. I was inspired by the #twiblestudy this morning on twitter based on Hebrews 4:15 (thanks @loswhit) and this is what kind of popped out. Jesus walked more than a mile in our shoes. He can more than just relate to us from afar. He WAS us.

There are no lyrics to this song, it’s just a meditative improv instrumental. Just know when you listen to it, though, that Jesus is close, He is near, and in every way possible he knows what you’re going through day to day because He, too was tempted with every imaginable temptation, and in the end did not sin. Amazing.

So here it is: More Than A Mile

More Than A Mile [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Photos Courtesy of Clarus Photography People Pictured wearing New Love In, Up, Out Tee Design

This past Sunday we unveiled our new “identity statement” at House of Joy. It was an exciting time.

Basically, back in January the staff went away for a few days and really spent hours answering this question: Who are we?

We didn’t invent some slogan to live up to. We didn’t create something out of thin air to try and project onto our people.

We thought and prayed, and laughed and debated and came together on an identity statement that reflected who we already are and what is important to us in ministry at HOJ.

Keith & Cortni: Worship Band Members

Love IN. Love Up. Love OUT.

Love in: We take care of each other. We meet in each others’ homes. We protect and nurture our own.

Love up: We love God with everything that we’ve got, heart, strength, soul, body, and mind. We teach others to do the same.

Love out: We love others as ourselves. We reach outside of our walls. We are community impacters, locally and globally.

Josh: Student Coordinator @ HOJ

It was a great day, and the kickoff of a new series.

The series was titled “From the Stroller to the Hog” – it was basically a series about growing up spiritually. Kind of the kickoff of our Love In process. We talked about how we start off in the stroller being pushed around and taken care of. Then we move to the tricycle and learn to move around a bit on our own. Then we hit the mountain bike and then we hit the Harley (hog). A neat four phase progression about growing through the stages of spiritual infancy to spiritually maturing.

We had intended to have the pastor riding the harley into our theater but alas, the doorway wasn’t big enough into the actual theater room where we meet. So we parked it right outside in the hallway as you go into the theater.

The Harley sitting at the entrance to our theater room. The Light coming in from the left is an exit to the outside of the theater. The theater room is actually right around to the right of the hog.

Though it wasn’t as loud and probably didn’t have the stick with you factor as riding it in, it was definitely a great visual to have it sitting in the entrance.

I don’t do this as much as I used to, but I would sit for hours on end and make little eletronic pieces. It was a blast.

Since I kind of hit a writers block due to travel, time, and lack of motivation the last 2 weeks, I figured I’d revisit my college days throwing together electronic stuffz.

It’s called In The Garage…only because I’m not clever. I made it in GarageBand.

Enjoy.

In The Garage [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Yet another song in my 50 songs this year challenge.

Today I didn’t want to write. At all. So it felt more like an exercise back in college when my composition teacher’s would assign us something and we basically had to write it. Don’t get me wrong, once I got into it and started channeling the BeeGees I had a bunch of fun.

But ultimately this isn’t a song for worship, it isn’t gonna make me a songwriting legend, and odds are you probably won’t like it.

I will say this though, I actually do like it, and I think with the right artist, or band it has potential.

Oh and if anybody wonders why the verses don’t really rhyme…it’s because I just freestyled them. This is the rough beginnings of what could be a fun song.

Sorry for all the bg noise, I recorded again with the wrong headphones and straight into the onbaord mic of the MacBook Pro. One day I’ll actually have some equipment of my own. Until then I keep on writing.

So without further ado. Grab a glass of wine, throw a log on the fire, and put your arm around your hunny and let’s do this!

I Love You [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is a song based on 1 Chronicles 16:34 and Psalm 57 (which I’ve also designed free wallpapers for).

Your Love Never Fails [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Just a scratch recording…my “drums” metronome kind of bled over a little, sorry about that. Not using the right headphones this morning.

It’s kind of an acoustic guitar driven song, that can either be done as an uptempo song or a worshipful song. That ll depends on what groove your rhythm section lays down for it. It’s a very flexible song (at the same tempo).

Let me know if you like it and if you’d like to use it at your place!