I am just in wonder right now.  I go to sleep anywhere from 6:30am-9am, depending on how much sleep I want to get/ how late I want to get up.  No matter how long I end up staying up in the morning though, I really love this time of winding down.  This week I've spent it reading Just As I Am by Billy Graham (I'm loving it) and looking up friends on Facebook and LJ.  Last night at the hotel, my co-worker, Gretchen, baked some ricotta pie.  It was interesting... it kind of tasted like corn pudding- which was surprising.  I guess that's what's you get when you mix sugar, eggs, pineapple, and ricotta chese.  Tomorrow night she's trying a different recipe.  I love her sense of adventure and her drive to actually experience it.  Always a welcome lesson to me, no doubt.

Anna, one of my youth, asked if I would like to speak at her school's FCA.  I, of course, told her I'd absolutely love to!  And, ya know, the more I develop my musicianship, I might soon be able to help out with FCA regulrarly, musically.  Wouldn't that be an awesome way to get involved with school campuses?  Who knows.  There are so many wonderful things to do.  I can't wait for the new song on www.WorshipTogether.com !  I'm addicted!

The Peace of Christ to You,
Jake

So, www.WorshipTogether.com provides free sheet music, along with an instructional video from the artist, every week.  You can even transpose the sheet music before you print it (helpful for much of Tomlin's stuff, which is stupid high).  So I started learning this week's song (it's about to change), "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" by Charles Wesley, redone and chorus-ed by David Crowder.  For the song, Dave alters his tuning and adjusts the D and G strings to E (that's a lot of E).

So, after I re-tuned my 'tar, I strummed to check the sound of this tuning before plunging into the song.  But I had to pause- what an awesome tuning!  It sounds so powerful ("monstrous," as Dave says).  I started experimenting in the new tuning, and never got to beginning to learn Thousand Tongues; I ended up writing a song from scratch- guitar, vocals, and lyrics.  The lyrics are done, as well as the bass guitar and vocal parts (though I want to do some ornamentation now, of course).  I'll see if I can't get some audio connection and share it on here when it's done.  The song is called "Our Song," and yes, I couldn't help but think of Elton John once I decided on the title- but the title is the most perfect one I can think of.  I'll talk more on the story behind the song when I get it on here.

I've been blown away by the mercy and warmth of my friends in this difficult time of conviction I'm experiencing.  I go back and forth from feeling doomed to feeling born again, but, regardless of my feelings, I mostly know that I am born again, and my actions have begun to reflect that more clearly.

I'm reading Billy Graham's autobiography.  He's a wonderful man.  Last night as work I watched the second half of "Homeless Man:  The Restless Heart of Rich Mullins," on www.YouTube.com, yet again.  I only watched the second half because I can only usually watch half of that documentary before I get so excited about the life in Christ that I can't stand to sit and watch and listen any longer.  I was sobbing through most of it- that came at a surprise, since I've seen it who knows how many times.  I was rather humored by the idea, however, of a customer walking in while I'm in fountain mode...
"What's wrong son?"
"Nothing, nothing.  Rich Mullins was a beautiful man."
"...?"

Hahah, that would've been great.  Well, I better finish straightening up my room before I have to go to work... I think my roommate is getting a little annoyed at my messiness.  A messy room is the sign of a busy person though, right?  Or is it lazy?  Eh, it doesn't matter- I'm both.

The Peace of Christ to You,
Jake