• I went to see “Traitor” last night with Steve Fee, ran into this guy and his wife and stayed out too late.
• We played a Lenny Kravitz song at church today.  It was a lot easier than I expected it to be.  I absolutely don’t have enough “cool” in me to pull that one off though.
• Some guy told me at church today that my guitar playing sounded like someone I had never heard of.  I said “thanks” and now am wondering if that was a compliment.
• I burned the top of my mouth on coffee this morning.  I wish I hadn’t done that.
• Been thinking a lot about the folks in New Orleans this morning.  Hopefully everyone gets out. 
• I’ve got two or three meetings this week, but am excited to focus on some work.
• I realized this week I like taking cold showers in the middle of the day with no lights on and I don’t care if that makes me weird.
• I’m ready for Winter…. but will settle for Fall

What’s your Sunday looking like?

We are still doing that “Live Like You Were Dying” study at our church and we are even doing a small group which Kristin and I have never done.  We’ve only done it once but there are some really cool people there and it’s nice to talk to new people.  The other day one of the questions in the study asked, “Where do you hear God most”.  I started thinking about that answer and I realized that, because I am so distracted most of the day, I think it’s when I am doing mundane, repetitious things.  Things like mowing the lawn, or pressure washing the deck, both of which I did today.  I don’t know why it is, but I think it’s because I can’t be doing other things.  I am doing something that I don’t really have to think about and I can just let my mind wander.  I don’t know if that’s what the question was asking, but that’s how I took it, and that’s my answer.  What about you guys?  

Where do you hear God most?  And for those of you that don’t think you “hear from God” where do you hear things that you are refusing to admit is God talking?

So check this out.  We just launched Daniel Renstrom’s new site along with a brand spankin new blog.  Daniel has been a really cool guy to work with and is SkörInc’s first “Indie” guy to work with.  I’m excited to see Daniel grow and really move forward with his music.  Also if you haven’t heard any of Daniel’s record, where have you been?  It’s time you went and got that.

So anyway, Randy has been busting out on this one for the last few weeks and here it is.  I’m really happy with the design and some of the ideas that came forward with this one.  Head over to Daniel’s new home and say hello.

Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way? Images from Google Earth have confirmed that cattle tend to align their bodies in a north-south direction. Wild deer also display this behavior - a phenomenon that has apparently gone unnoticed by herdsmen and hunters for thousands of years.

In the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences, scientists say the Earth’s magnetic fields may influence the behavior of these animals.

The Earth can be viewed as a huge magnet, with magnetic north and south situated close to the geographical poles.

Many species - including birds and salmon - are known to use the Earth’s magnetic field in migration, rather like a natural GPS.

A few studies have shown that some mammals - including bats - also use a “magnetic compass” to help their sense of direction.

Huh.  Who would have thought?  Ever since I read this, I have noticed driving by fields of cows, and almost crashing my car, because I am weirded out by all the cows facing the same way.  Have you ever noticed that?  Anyone heard this before?

I’m sorry to who I am about to offend, but this Presidential Race feels like a joke.  To me I equate it to none other that one of those “Hi, I’m a Mac”, “And I’m a PC” commercials.  You know the ones.

“Hi, I’m Barack Obama and I’m cool.  Celebrities want to support me because I am cool.  If I could I would wear a t-shirt and jeans on this commercial, because I am like you.  Don’t you think I’m cool?  In fact, if I could play a Feetwood Mac song on the saxophone I would because I am that cool.  Even the “cool” Christians like me because they are ‘thinking outside the box’.  Pretty soon I hope to be in the cover of Relevant Magazine because I am just that…. Relevant.  Check the box for Barack Obama”.”

“Hi, I’m John McCain, and I’m not cool.  I usually am never found without a suit on.  I’m really old and am the personification of a ‘Conservative Republican’.  That makes me not cool to most people, including ‘cool Christians’.  People make fun of me because I don’t play the saxophone, and I didn’t have a cool, popular Christian author pray at my party.  Pretty soon I hope to be on the cover of AARP, and I’m secretly praying there are more ‘conservative’ people in America than there are ‘cool’ people.  Check the box for John McCain”

Am I way off here?  Does anyone else feel like this Presidential Race is quite literally the same as one of those commercials?  I don’t follow politics all that much, and this is why.  It’s a joke.  It’s a race to see how many popular people in specific genre’s and mediums you can get on TV supporting you, and then America does what they are told.  Mac told us to buy iPhones because they were cool.  We did even though we just needed a phone.  Mac told us they were “cooler” than PC’s and we listened.  Now you can’t walk into a trendy part of town anywhere in America without seeing a wall of people tucked behind that Apple logo wondering how to right click something.  Marketing is awesome.

Thoughts?

Anyone seen the Crowder DVD?  Those pictures look familiar?  As most of you know, I had the amazing opportunity to be on a great tour and push a button on a camera a few times.  Mr. Crowder and the fine folks at Sixsteps Records thought the pictures I took were decent enough to use six of them to put on the DVD artwork.  In fact every picture in the artwork is a result of me pushing that button.  Pretty cool huh? It’s exciting to me anyway.

And on top of it, this is the first time that any of my pictures have been “published” to anything so that’s pretty cool.  Also I heard that another picture that I took on that tour will soon be on the cover of a certain magazine, but I don’t know details yet.  I’ll be sure to let you all know though.

Anyway.  Thanks David and friends for making my first publication a fun one.

(*added to Creative Chaos*)

I had a youth pastor growing up.  He didn’t mind breaking things, or pushing the limit as a youth pastor to reach out to us kids.  He connected with every single kid in one way or another that was involved in the youth group.  He somehow managed to merge the weird druggie kids and the kids that grew up in church in games of broom hockey or mission trips to Mexico.  He blew me away as a youth pastor.

Eventually we all grew up, and just before I left “youth group” age, he left.  He took a job as the senior pastor of our church and all of the sudden the games stopped.  The older ladies in the church weren’t as much into lock-ins or packing twenty people into a van and driving to a baseball game as we were, and he needed to recognize that.  He needed to take his vision beyond our youth group and attack what was placed in front of him without hurting those around him.  Now it’s been probably fifteen years since that change.  I have moved across the country.  Even his kids have passed through their own “youth group” age, and he’s still attacking what was placed in front of him without hurting those around him.  He blew me away as a pastor. 

Recently the announcement to build a community center near the church with a baseball field, an amphitheater and a bunch of other stuff, in a community that really needs it was made, and I know for a fact that it’s been a dream of my pastors for a long time.  Something that he has envisioned for a long time is now becoming a reality.  Never in my life have I seen the heart of a man so genuine, and I don’t know a single person that would disagree with me.  

We’ve been talking a lot at our church out here in Tennessee about people that have influenced us in ways that we continue to look back on.  Every time we start to talk about that, I think of this youth pastor turned pastor.  This past week was his birthday and I tease him about being old, though I think he’s only forty-five.  There are times when I realize that I live across the country in an industry where people should have each other’s backs but don’t, and I go to a church with great teaching and great people, but there is no doubt in my mind who my pastor is.  He’s one of the few people in my life that has taught me to attack what’s in front of me without hurting those around me.  He blows me away as a man.

You guys know what to do. Have a great Tuesday.

Dear Christian Music Industry, 

I have an idea for you.  See those three record covers up there?  Pretty famous record covers right?  Here’s my idea.  I think it would be awesome for one your next record covers to be exactly like something that has been done before.  What do you say?  Go out and find a record cover that you think is awesome, one that really gives off a vibe that you want your record to give off and then copy it.  Copy every detail, except make sure to put your bands name on it, and maybe if you copy the Weezer cover don’t wear that black and blue shirt.  Maybe do a black and purple shirt instead.  Portray yourself publicly as completely unoriginal and unartistic.

I learned a new word this week.  Aesthetics.  Have you heard of it?

Here’s the thing, Christian Music Industry.  Since I’ve been writing you these letters I have noticed several blogs “randomly” popping up.  I even touched on it in my last letter to you when I mentioned that some of you were blogging but still were viewing blogs as something “extra”.  You’ve finally gotten to the point where blogs have become your “desktop wallpaper”, your “behind the scenes look” that you give away to fans.  Congratulations.  The problem with that is it’s simply a wrong type of thinking.  Don’t agree with me?  That’s fine.  At least the Washington Post does.  Blogs are not “extra”.  Blogs have become your voice, your market research, your connection to the folks that want to support you and more importantly your image to the world online.  Let me let you in on a little secret.  They don’t want your buddy icons.  They want you.  

“But Brody, our blog is a representation of us.  We blog almost daily and try to interact as much as we can.  Look at how original we are with our fancy header image.”  Good for you.  Really, I mean it.  I do have one question for you though.  Why are you doing it from a blogger account that is available for the rest of the world to use?  Why are you choosing a blog theme that any blogger can get, and just change the header out without even thinking?  Is that how you want to portray yourself to the world?  Unoriginal and unartistic?  I mean if that’s the case book a ticket to London, take your shoes off and walk across the street for your next record cover.  

Or you could do something custom.  Something that no one has done before, and maybe something no one else can have.  Show people that you care about your online public appearance as much as you care about your record cover’s public appearance.  Just a thought.  If your interested, I might know a guy.

Your friend, 
Brody 

Read Part One
Read Part Two
Read Part Three
Read Part Four
Read Part Five

Well, it’s official.  Blue just left for his first whole day of school.  No more Kindergarten Camp, no more half days.  Big boy school.  He was less intimidated today since he had been there a couple times, he knew his friends would be there, and he had the incentive to ride the bus home if he walked into his class brave.

I think Kristin is trying to avoid thinking about it.  I don’t blame her.  We started talking about how we both don’t really have many memories before Kindergarten.  I mean there are snippets of things I remember but when I think of school and “growing up” it all starts there.  Today starts that day for Blue.

I even remember my Kindergarten Teacher’s name.  Mrs. Albertazzi. How many of you remember your Kindergarten teacher’s name?

Remember when I told you I was joining a Fantasy Football League with the MercyMe guys and several of the people that work with them?  Well we were set up on an auto-draft, and the draft happened last night and I have no idea what happened.

Conveniently somehow, Bart’s team was the team to get first pick in the first round, so I’m pretty sure he might have gotten some good players.  I was last in the first round, but that meant I was first in the second round.  I’m pretty glad we did an auto-draft thing because I was a little intimidated by the fact that I didn’t have any idea who to pick for my team.  So anyway, I have my team now, and I’ve never heard any of their names before and most of them have a minus (-) next to their name in the stats.  Not sure if that’s too good.  The picture up there represents my “Team Logo”, and I’m hoping that intimidation will play a factor.

So here’s my team.  Team, Bad At Names.  All you football people out there chime in and let me know if I have a chance or if I should just give up any hope of whooping on Bart.  What do you think?

Round: 1
(20) Bad At Names - Jamal Lewis RB
Round: 2
(21) Bad At Names - Braylon Edwards WR
Round: 3
(60) Bad At Names - Tony Gonzalez TE
Round: 4
(61) Bad At Names - Roy Williams WR
Round: 5
(100) Bad At Names - Ahmad Bradshaw RB
Round: 6
(101) Bad At Names - Ahman Green RB
Round: 7
(140) Bad At Names - Ladell Betts RB
Round: 8
(141) Bad At Names - Ronald Curry WR
Round: 9
(180) Bad At Names - Arnaz Battle WR
Round: 10
(181) Bad At Names - Chris Henry WR
Round: 11
(220) Bad At Names - Jason Hill WR
Round: 12
(221) Bad At Names - Alex Smith TE
Round: 13
(260) Bad At Names - Jacob Tamme TE
Round: 14
(261) Bad At Names - Jason Hanson K
Round: 15
(300) Bad At Names - Gus Frerotte QB
Round: 16
(301) Bad At Names - Bengals D/ST D/ST