If You’re Not Falling, You’re Not Skiing!

Had a blast with you guys from FBC Nashville at Paoli Peaks. Who knew you could ski in Indiana? Happy New Year everybody!

Peace,
James

One True God

I’ve posted the worktape of “One True God” on the myspace site per the request of several of you. Hope you’re able to use it in your worship gatherings.

The gutars are tuned down a whole step and I’m playing in D with the capo on the fourth fret. (Complex, I know, but that means the song is recorded here in the key of E). Find the chords by clicking on “lyrics” below the song title. Big Love!

December Update

Merhaba! That means “hello” in Turkish. I used all of the 12 words I learned of Turkish last week in Istanbul. I used them over and over again so that it sounded like I knew Turkish. I could survive any conversation with a Turk as long as it only involved saying hello, goodbye, counting to ten, how are you, or “can I have a water, please.” I’ve become addicted to Turkish tea. Ought to do a little less damage to my liver than the 5 cups of coffee I drink every day.

I had a breakthrough on the plane yesterday coming home. I slept. I’ve never been able to sleep on a plane. It doesn’t matter how long the flight is I have never been able to sleep. Yesterday I learned the trick. Step 1, don’t sleep for 40 hours straight. Step 2, ear plugs! On the last leg of my journey home to Nashville I was in the exit row with no one next to me. I put in the earplugs, wrapped up in a blanket, rolled a pillow up under my head and stretched my legs out as far as I could to an angle. I was unconscious before we hit 10k feet and slept for a solid hour! I woke up feeling like a million dollars. After 40 hours awake, one hour of sleep goes a long way.

I felt guilty going to Istanbul because my job included about 20 minutes of music a day for three days. But what a blast I got to have worshipping with new and old friends from all over the world. Our break times together were rich and I loved getting to catch up with Billy, John, Kanoot and Tim all of whom I hadn’t seen in years.

Wrote a song Saturday afternoon and have posted on the myspace site. As we were driving around Istanbul I kept seeing this symbol on the sidewalk and handrails everywhere and my friend Billy told me they call Istanbul the City of the Seven Hills. Inspite of the fact that there were hills everywhere, the phrase stuck in my head (7 syllables in a trochaic foot. It was practically singing itself) and I wanted to use it in a lyric as I processed this trip. Check it out.

Also added “Awake My Soul” from the demo project last Spring and “Blue Horizon” to the myspace site. Blue Horizon is about the trip home to New Orleans that Shera and I took to pack up all of our stuff.

If you’ve taken the time to read all of this, why not pop over to the “Contact” page and send me a hello or simply click on the “comment” link below and say hellow from there. Merry Christmas!