Until December 25th, you can pick up our latest Second Mile CD, as well as a paperback copy of ‘My Beautiful Idol’ (regularly $12.99), for only $5 each. (I know. Crazy, right?!?)

You can hop over here on iTunes and give a listen to it!

And you can check out some reviews of ‘My Beautiful Idol’ .

Then you can simply click the PayPal button below and order while supplies last! (And if you have any special requests with your order, just let me know in the comments of the PayPal page…)

My wife and I were having a conversation about reconciliation. Making things right. But not just relationships in our lives or with people we know. We were talking about what it would looks like when God makes all things right. That would be nothing short of awe-inspiring. Awe-filling. 

In the most literal way…that would be awesome. 

But, of course, that has to start with me. 

So in the week that followed, we wrote a song titledLove Wins and the band recorded it on our latest CD. If you haven't heard it, you can listen to it below. (And you can order it by going here.) 

Be encouraged. When we surrender, when we tap out, Love wins. 

Love Wins

And killing it. 

(Thanks, Chris Taylor!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

My resolutions this year are different than last year. While I do have some specific, personal things I want to accomplish in the next 12 months (getting back to my running regime, never using the words ‘epic’ and ‘fail’ again…), they’re pretty insignificant in the larger scheme of things. So here are my top 5: 

5. Look closely. Life happens all around. I have friends who have travelled the world and  don’t have much to report. I also have other friends who can walk down the street and see the whole world. I want to be the latter. 

4. Listen intently. We all have amazing stories to tell. Stories of love and tragedy. Of heartbreak and redemption. Of grace and growth. God is in the process of redeeming all of creation, but sometimes noise drowns out the tale. In 2011, I will listen more intently to Christ’s story in and around me. 

3. Tell boldly. What good is a story without an audience? What good is tragedy if the triumph is never told? I want to 'tell better'–not in a preacher-on-a-street-corner-kind-of-way, but like a painter who can't help but paint. I want to creatively use every color, every hue, every nuance to tell the story so that it resonates with us and accurately reflects the love God has shown.

2. Love completely. When I die, the only things that will eternally matter are my relationships–with Christ and with His Bride. If I speak with the tongues of men and angels but don’t have love……if I feed the poor and don’t  have love….if I have faith that moves mountains or knowledge that understands crazy, theological secrets, and don’t have love…then what good is it?

1. Spend 2011 awake and wondering. Life gets hectic and it’s easy to autopilot through each day without engaging in the wonder of life and creation. Recreation is re-creation. Wonder begets wonder. Like Neo taking the red pill, I want to see how far the rabbit hole goes…

What about you? What are you striving towards in 2011? Did you make any resolutions? I'd love for you to share…perhaps together we can spur each other on towards living 2011on purpose. 

Thanks to @mrcrum for the graphic! 

Click here to view the embedded video.

UPDATE: we already have one house show that needs to be booked! Thanks for the $500 donation to get us started!

As a worship leader and amateur sound guy I realize there can be areas of tension between the stage and the booth. Between 'us' and 'them'.  But the goal of the worship leader and the sound person should be identical: to provide as few distractions for the worshipper as possible. I'm blessed to work alongside a worship staff and a media team who see our goal as one-and-the-same. But every now and then, we pass around this list (which I blatantly stole and adapted from the creative mind of Nathan Sutliff) just to remind ourselves…

10 Things Every Worship Leader Wishes Their Sound Person Knew

1. Sorry, that equipment is not in the budget.

2. I realize when I ask for more of “me” you just put your hand on the knob, looking at me without actually turning any knob at all. Tricky, tricky…

3. An acceptable volume level is not when less than 10 people complain.

4. Vocals and melody are really the most important thing for a congregation to hear.

5. A drum cage is a great way to control the sounds of our drummer (however, I am not opposed to chains…).

6. Microphone cues aren’t mere suggestions like the speed limit.

7. When you do a good job, I look good, when you do a bad job, you look bad. That's life.

8. You don’t own that booth; you are part of a team.

9. Batteries, batteries, batteries.

10. You are a vital part to making people experience worship. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. This is something I don’t tell you enough and should tell you more.

Of course, you have to consider the other side of the coin… 

10 Things Every Sound Person Wishes Their Worship Leader Knew

1. It may not be in the budget, but you should never buy microphones that are 2-for-1. Seriously. You get what you pay for, so don’t be cheap if you want better sound.

2. You have no idea if I am turning that knob or not when you want more in the monitor, so trust me.

3. Do you want a good mix or acceptable volume level? In our church, it’s one or the other.

4. My job is basically to make louder whatever you give me. A better mix starts on stage.

5. A drum cage makes the drums sound like they are in a box… that is the reason you never see them in real life.

6. More speakers doesn’t mean 'louder sound'. It means a fuller sound at a lower volume level and better coverage. 

7. Do you want me to mix or produce? Because that one guy is completely overplaying…

8. I can achieve anything with enough coffee.

9. Soundcheck time is not practice time.

10. My goal is not to draw attention to myself, but help point the congregation towards Christ. Thank you for what you do. Without you, I wouldn't have a place to serve. 

It always gives us a chuckle and helps us refocus our priorities. Whether you lead worship with a full band, piano and organ, or a vocal mic and iPod, the goal is the same: to create a worship environment with minimal distractions. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all people to myself." By working together, we can be undistracted in worship as we proclaim Him. 

"Will our children have to jump over our generation to earlier ones to find the Christian message again? Or will we have celebrated its fullness in such a way that they can remember from our worship what transcended our understanding, but will touch theirs?"

-Donald Hustad, True Worship

I wonder what our children will say about worship of God. What will their understanding of the essentials of Biblical worship be? By our action, our tradition, our liturgy, what are we teaching? 

We must make sure the music we use for worship does not become the music we worship. 

The guitar gods at Taylor have already sent Carroll two new guitars (seen in the video..). 

BTW, if you ever have to fly with your guitar, I recommend doing what has worked for me: a hardshell case, wrapped in duct tape, and damage insurance. 

Enjoy! 

United Breaks Guitars

Click here to view the embedded video.