I thank you so much for all the support you have given us. I hope that the Lord has made you grow through this music. My wonderful and beautiful sisters and I have spoken and it is time to end this aspect of our lives. It is not much, so do not make much of it. We are still who we are, for our Father has made us in Love, and that does not change. I don't know what the future holds, and that's ok. This website will remain up, but I will no longer post to it. There will be no more concerts that I can see. If this is important to you, keep in mind that I do not see everything. But, if this is important to you, you need to look at what is behind it. Do not let it become an idol in your heart. Email us sometime (the addresses are still there). We still want to know you. Seek to be like Christ. I love you. May He give you Peace.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:54 PM
I guess I have a little more to say about Rich.
As much as people talk about him and his music, it's easy to think that some of us have decended to idol-worship. This could be said of his music apart from him, because many people listen to it to get a feeling (which is not bad), and then use that emotional high as a drug to replace the reality of the Lord, who is beyond emotion. We must be careful not to do this, especially in a world where this kind of idolatry is so prevalent. We must realize that it is truly a lie perpetuated by the Father of Lies, and that God Himself is our God, not an emotional high (which can be just as enticing, if not more, than a physical high).
The cool thing about Rich is that, if you hear him talking, he won't lead you to believe that anything is about him. You can tell from his words and from his manner that the Lord is God. I think part of the reason he was taken home might be because we cannot depend on humble souls like Rich and others to give us our spirituality. God not only loves us, but wants us to love Him - and if we'll put our trust in Him, he will give us the means to do so, since "by myself in can do nothing." (John 5:30)
Posted by A. Whipple at 2:09 PM
I'm sitting and listening to Rich Mullins Here in America. Every time I hear the guys voice, it's not necessarily what he's saying that gets to me. It's the way he says it. He doesn't take himself seriously like most folks (chiefly myself) do. He's very down to earth - an ironic expression considering that many people who we apply to (at least in the Christian worldview) probably have a better understanding of their place in this world according to God's will than those of us who consider ourselves very holy.
I was walking along this morning back to the dorm. It's fairly cold outside today. I was ashamed because I had spent a large portion of time not paying attention to God's existence. I asked forgiveness and began to talk to my Lord as we walked along. It was funny, because I had this dumb idea of Jesus wearing these robes like we see Him in the pictures in kids' Bibles. So I said, "Don't you get cold?!" His reply seemed to be, "Well, no." And then it seemed to be a bit warmer around me.
Please be praying for Nothing Done, as we have a couple concerts this month. Be praying for me as well, because I'm going to try to prepare for a job this summer. Unbeknownst to most, I do want to get work. Sorry that we've hardly posted since we got back. Thank you so much for your patience if you actually read this thing on a regular basis. Being back at school is good, except for the money part, but the Lord provides. I hope I see you around. May the Lord bless you!
Posted by A. Whipple at 1:51 PM
I'm simply typing on this thing now just to use up words and take up space. Nathan's out at the Cafe tearing up floors behind the counter. Chris and Stuart and I moved everything from behind the counter last night before we left. The floor there is warped and needs to be replaced. I spent the early afternoon at my aunt and uncle's new house. They're moving up to Knoxville from Cleveland (TN), which will probably be a huge thrill for my mom having her sister live so close. My aunt on the other hand, might be a little less inclined to be thrilled with mom's enthusiasm. My aunt and I are very alike in the fact that we're both independent. I can't stand to have people try to make themselves involved in my life. I suppose that's my downfall sometimes. It just irritates me when someone wants to come up and make themselves involved when I haven't asked for anything and I don't look like I need any help. Anyways, frustrations aside, I've got to go take a shower and get out of the house. Can't stay here for too long or I start to go crazy with everyone telling me to do things and wanting me to be a part of stuff. I guess I should take a lesson to learn to deal with my own children when I have them. If they are independent, I'll have to remember how to deal with that sort of person. Otherwise, I've got to learn to overlook people wanting to involve themselves and me.
Posted by A. Whipple at 1:39 PM
Welcome to 2004. I've spent the evening and morning at New City Cafe learning new things that my Father has taught me. I was sent there to encourage my good brother Davis today. Dishwater Blonde was playing for the NYEve party. A full house turned up. And it seems that Davis found out what he was sent there for too.
A guy turned up towards the end of the night named James. It was amazing to watch Davis and Donovan and a couple other guys sit there with James and Davis give his testimony and they led James to Christ right there. I sat with my hand on James' shoulder as the four of them wept and he asked the Lord to come into his heart. (James if you read this, I hope you are not angry with me for using your name) I am glad that there are people like Davis who have the humility to allow God to use them in that way. I am glad that there are people like Davis who are real. I am so incredibly far beneath the understanding that my Lord would have in me! I am continuously shown that it's not about me. And it's a good thing too! If not for the intervention of my Lord, I would end up worshipping myself in all that I do. As it is, I am humbled to see God work through circumstances that involve me.
They had John Lewis's ordination service last Sunday night. I am glad to know someone so humble and broken. He is a man truly in awe of God. He is a true servant. I watched him as he was on his knees and all the other ordained people in the church came and put their hands on him and spoke to him. Things I would long to hear, but things I am not ready to hear. Things that seem so far away from an egotistical freak like me. I can't imagine being so close to my Father.
It was a lot of fun to be back hanging out with Davis again. Dusty Beason was the drummer instead of Gerald this time (Davis said they've had a different drummer the past three times). Dusty was drum captain my freshman year of high school. He was a senior and we were in the band. He was in a band with Zane Ellis and Ben Burnette called Stone's Throw there for a while. Dusty's an awesome guy. His heart is very caring.
Being at New City tonight and watching my Loving Father work through Davis reminded me what church is. It reminded me that we are all just people. Sometimes walking the righteous path in my life seems like sifting through a china shop after a tornado and trying to put a plate together, you know. Sort of like, if the plate was part of a set. There are ten thousand broken pieces from that set, but only the unselfish ones fit my plate. But most of what I find are the selfish pieces of other plates. Well, it's a stupid metaphor and it takes too long to explain, but you get the picture. It was wonderful to hear James' voice weeping out his built-up frustrations and learning that Jesus is our only hope. He is all we will ever have. None of us have it all together, and it's ok for it to be that way. Because God alone has it all together.
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands
He's got the whole world in His hands.
Posted by A. Whipple at 4:35 AM
I'm listening to a cd that Katrina's parents got me. It's three hours of Garrison Keillor's radio show from Prairie Home Companion. It's absolutely hilarious and it's wonderful to listen to. He tells a story about a man named Donny Hart that he knew as a child. Donny Hart is retarded, and he tells about the amazing thing of being Donny's friend. Donny was not competitive as most children are. He would do anything that you told him to do, and he was so gullible, but he was not competitive. He said he saw Donny Hart about twenty years later with a group of other retarded people at the bus stop. He said it was so singular to be there with them, because they were not stiff in the way they moved. They carried themselves with a loose sort of gait, like kids. They were not self-conscious, they just were who they were. He said as children, that Donny would be whoever Garrison suggested that he should be when they were playing. If Garrison wanted Donny to be an Indian so Garrison could play cowboy, Donny would do that. If Donny had to be the bad guy, he would do that, but he wasn't a very good bad guy because he was too sweet.
He said that when Donny was with you, he simply enjoyed your company. He wasn't interested in having any sort of advantage. It strikes me as such a novel thing. If we could all be described as such. If we were all not competitive. We see the behavior of retarded people, who act sort of like kids in their ease of manner, as pitiful. We see them as less fortunate, because we see intelligence as what makes us human, what makes us important. If you really look at it though, they are more fortunate in a way. They are not captivated with this idea of being better. They do not strive to be the loudest in the conversation. They do not strive to invent the funniest idea. They do not attempt to go farther than the next man in their idioms. They simply are, and they don't put any stock in the games that smart people play.
Oh, if we could just not worry about things like we do. If we could just enjoy each other's company like that. If we could sit in silence and be ok. I suppose that's one thing that distinguishes husbands and wives or best friends from other sorts of relationships. Married folks can sit in silence. Best friends can not say a word and be ok. You could be around these sorts of people, and they could have an entire conversation around you as you were talking, and neither of them would have said a word. They might simply smile or laugh at what would seem to you to be absolutely nothing. But to sit together..........it's important to have that with someone. I suppose that to sit with my Lord is like that. To sit with Him is like sitting with a friend. He hangs on your every word even though it really means nothing at all, and you hang on His every word, because it means the world to you that He talks to you. "He walks with me and He talks with me" as the old hymn goes. Enoch "walked with God." Moses spoke with God face to face "as one speaks with a close friend." I am glad to have this with more than one person on this earth. I hope to have it with others as I go. I hope to be like Donny Hart, to have faith like a child, to know that things are as they are and God is in control.
Posted by A. Whipple at 7:27 PM
The new pictures are up on the website. They're the ones from Brenda's camera on the Florida trip. It's not much of a surprise that there are very few pictures in which I'm doing something 'normal', whatever that means. Enjoy!
Posted by A. Whipple at 8:52 PM
By the way, the Emmanuel Baptist date has been changed back to the 18th. Just a little FYI. I'll be getting some more pictures up soon.
Posted by A. Whipple at 12:37 PM
So finally the blog is back up. Funny that now that it is, I have little to say that is relevant. Classes are over and that's great, I got straight A's on my jury. It was interesting and somewhat humorous to watch freshmen and sophomores freaking out over finals and juries. Not humorous in a sadistic way, but humorous in knowing that in a couple years, they won't worry about it so much. It'll just be something else they've got to do. I hope they learn amongst that change.
Andy's sick, and I hope I don't get whatever it is. I am truly thankful for the friends that I have. I have more mature Christian friends than most people my age, and it really helps. God would get me through things without them if they were not there, but it is wonderful to have them. A friend of mine said that my friend Jeff is a bit feminine. Now Jeff is my mentor and he is more of a man than most men on this campus. So I was forced to laugh at this. She thought that he was feminine just because of his gentle manner. She'll come around to knowing what Godly men are. It's amazing that God is getting me through this whole finals predicament. I guess I shouldn't expect any less.
Posted by A. Whipple at 12:35 PM
Another thing God taught me was truth behind the verse "let the dead bury their dead." Jesus told this to a man who wished to bury his father before he followed Jesus. As if it was more important. Some say that the man may have been speaking in a different context and that the man's father may not have actually been dead yet. But Jesus told the man to let the 'dead' bury their dead. And he was not speaking in metaphors. The 'dead' in the verse are those that are dead to Christ. Those that are dead in their sins. Dead in their lack of hunger. So thirsty that they can no longer feel the parched leather of their own throats. They are the dead. Let them fail to see the priority of following Christ. It is we who are partially alive who must seek more Life. It is we who know where Life is rooted who must chase the Eastern horizon. We cannot worship the body. Rich Mullins said "Ultimately, that is what I amount to. They will have to bury me because if they don't, I will stink up the place." We must let the dead bury their dead. We must seek Life.
Posted by A. Whipple at 8:20 PM
It's amazing looking back and seeing that God has used my own selfish desires for His own purposes. I have, for the past couple weeks or so, been so concerned with what people think of me. This is not a good thing, since it is not other people that I will answer to in the end. But God used it to give me the illusion that some people who are close to me were acting against me. Then He showed me that they weren't, and that I held bitterness against them for doing the things that I wrongly thought they were doing. But I must forgive all, my friends and my enemies, for we are all enemies to our friends at some point, and "if when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, have been reconciled, shall we be saved through life!" (Romans 5:10)
I was God's enemy, and yet He saw into His creation and design of me, and through His love, He found me worth dying for. I must be willing to die for those that will be my enemies. Not for my own glory, but for the glory of the Father, that they might know Him when I am not seen. David said, Psalm 35, "ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about in morning as though for my friend or a dear brother. I bowed my head in grief as though mourning for my mother." Jesus said "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Thank You Father for using my selfish overanalysis to teach me my faults.
Posted by A. Whipple at 8:11 PM
If I've ever said anything correct to anyone about anything important, it's not me talking. I've made that mistake of thinking that my mentors are really behind the things they tell me. It's not them, and they know that. By the road we've chosen to walk, we would see straight through each other if it was them behind the whole thing. A friend of mine just told me that I was right. I asked him about what. His response was 'everything.' This is all well and good, but he needs to be closer to our Father, instead of knowing that I was right. I suppose that maybe the good of him learning to trust me more could come out of it all. But God is still with us anyhow, so it makes little difference what I want to get out of things. I am the worst person in the world when it comes to saying things that matter (I'm even worse at getting work done). I am nothing more than a beast and a pauper. This body I am in is not even my own. Though I have abused the use of it and seemingly tried so hard to destroy it, it is not my own. My mind is not my own. So who I am is something beyond these. I am not even completely this that I am yet. I won't be that until I die (and of course I don't know the nature of Heaven, so that may or may not be), and then all that was before won't matter. It makes it seem rather trivial at this point.
Isn't it funny how we often envy the stories of others. God is writing all our stories, and we try to envy the stories of others. But your story is not my story, and mine is not yours. Each of us is a unique and beautiful story, with a noble beginning, a conflict-filled middle, and a joyful and beautiful ending. And that story is just (as CS Lewis says) the title page of the Great Story in which every chapter is better than the next. It's amazing to know that now is an immeasurably small fraction of forever. God be praised! Glory to His awesome Name!
Posted by A. Whipple at 2:07 AM
It is frustrating to try to talk to someone about something for which they have no context. I was on the way to Perkins last night with a friend of mine who is Hindu. She and I got to talking about marriage and sex as it relates to marriage. I feel very strongly about how God feels about sex and it's place in marriage. I know that I don't understand it yet, and that I won't completely (or as close as possible at that point) until I can experience it. But I do know that it's a spiritual thing. If it was just physical, God would have said don't have sex too often because you'll get addicted to the indulgence. He wouldn't have said anything about marriage that related to sex. But God clearly tells us over and over that extra-marital sex is wrong. (He also tells us to obey the laws of our land. So if you're thinking "well, I've found that special someone, so now it's ok, we don't have to wait anymore," know that you would be wrong to have sex before you are lawfully wedded) But anyways, the way that God designed the whole thing around the human heart and our relationship to Him is so beautiful and wonderful, and it was frustrating trying to explain it to someone who has no context about the things I know. I would love to just take my friend by the shoulders and look her in the eyes and tell her how wonderful my Father is, but she wouldn't begin to understand. She sees no need for change in the way she thinks. I must pray for her. She has so much potential if she would only follow the path set down by The One.
Posted by A. Whipple at 6:20 PM
I'm sitting in the library, browsing over what I'm really s'posed to be doing. That would be a research paper on DH Lawrence. Personally, I think I'd rather vomit up a pile of sea urchins, but I don't have much choice in this matter. This semester has seemed absolutely insane! I think it's cause we did Messiah right at the very end of it, not to mention all the other stuff like the Christmas tree lighting, band concert, so on and so forth. Pray for us! We're not done yet, and I know that when we are, we'll look back and laugh at the seriousness with which we took the whole thing. I think that's us not seeing it through God's eyes. He knows every minute of every life He has created. Praise the Holy One! It's the coolest thing that our Father is the same Father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
I gotta get out of here and get to work. God bless you all!
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:28 PM
Like Brenda said, Dishwater Blonde was AWESOME!!! I had so much fun just listening to and watching those guys on stage. I guess I would discribe their sound as funk. Pure, get-down, yo-mama-didn-raze-no-fool FUNK. (now back to reality after that whatever-it-was with too many hyphens) And (again, to reiterate Brenda) listening to them pray, you could tell that they are guys who love the Lord. They understood that music was not the focus. They understood that it may be the fun, it may be the job, but Jesus is the focus, and that ends up coming through in the music. We can't help but write what we're passionate about and what we struggle with. I certainly hope we're passionate after our Lord, and I know that living for Him is a struggle in this present world. The next one's gonna be so cool! They've got a website at dishwaterblonde.net that's in the process of being moved, but you can check out this one if you want concert dates. And if you ever get to hear Davis's testimony, definitely listen to it. He's been from beggar to a prince in the King's court. He's an awesome guy and he was so good to us (as were they all). Brenda and I were both thinking 'We're opening for THEM?! They're awesome!'
Anyways, I've got to get out of Kat's house, since she's already in bed and I've got work to do back at the dorm. Please pray for us as we finish out the semester. It really will be a miracle to make it through this one it seems like. But hey, everyday's a miracle. I love you guys. God is my Father! And He is!
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:36 PM
Well, it has been a night! This evening we went to the Jefferson City Life Care Center (it's a nursing home in layman's terms, but we all have to be PC these days). We went and played and sang hymns from about 6:15 to 7. We actually didn't do any of our songs except for Joyful Joyful. We did the songs and talked with the patients and just spent general quality time with folks. There's not much to be said, except that I know that God ministered to them through us being there, and I know that He certainly did a number on us as well. They asked us to come back some time soon to sing again. So hopefully, we'll get a chance to do that soon. Thank you for praying for us. Please continue to do so! God bless you!
Posted by A. Whipple at 2:13 AM
Just put the new pictures up (FINALLYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!). They're the ones from the Florida trip and the New City Cafe concert. Later.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:31 PM
I absolutely despise temptation and sin! Whew! Now that I've got that out let's move on. Please pray for Katrina's friend Jeremy. Pray that we would all have faith and peace in God's will and that he would remind us in all our circumstances to be His servants and to glorify Him Alone. I guess that's all I've got. Not much else can be said, because God's will is sovereign. I love you all, good night.
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:02 PM
I also have a long way to go. I have been shown that I take this whole music thing (and a whole host of other things) way too seriously, when they're not really serious matters at all. And if I do music for myself, then I don't help anyone, but if I do it because I love the Lord and because I love people, then I will not have to worry about that sort of thing (like I would anyways). I'm really jazzed on Perkins coffee right now, so sleep is something which may or may not come, but here's some news. We're not doing Fuge. God has led us away from that, so we're not going to the preview weekend.
Please pray for Brenda's voice to get better, she's got laryngitis (does anyone really know how to spell that word?). I'm going to go back and talk to the security guard (Dave) at the front desk. Hopefully I'll get sleep tonight. I can feel the caffiene starting to wear off.
Posted by A. Whipple at 3:19 AM
Can you imagine actually washing someone's feet? Think for a minute of the dorkiest person you know (maybe it's me ;) but anyways). Think of a guy or girl who's not good-looking at all, who doesn't really have social skills, who tries way to hard to make friends and ends up making a fool of themself. Somebody who you might be nice to, except for the fact that they irritate you. Maybe you know somebody like that. Maybe you feel like that person. If you feel like that person, think of the people who you want to be your friends who shun you and treat you badly. Now that we've all got someone we quite possibly dislike very much in mind (I've got one too), think of that person walking a long way in shoes with no socks on a hot muggy day. Think of them sitting down in your room with you. Now try to imagine how difficult it would be to take off their smelly shoes and use your bare hands and a bowl of water to wash their feet. Can we even comprehend what a humbling experience it would be to wash the feet of those who we disagree with or dislike most? Those who might smell horrible and might not even understand what we're doing! What a drag! What a completely horrible experience! What a disgusting thing! What a show of love!
Not much can be said, except that few of us live up to such a claim of love. We are travelers on a journey, fellow pilgrims on the road.......Brother let me be your servant, let me share Christ's love with you.
A hymn that many can sing, but few can fulfill.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:19 PM
I really get irritated at computers and making websites, 'cause I'm not any good at it. Maybe somebody else will be gracious enough to do it for me. Doubt that........
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:54 PM
I'm excited about what God's doing in our lives. Elissa's not going to be going to Nashville, and I'm not sure if Brenda and I are going either. But that just means that God has something better planned. I won't mention my own wishes here, or hopefully at all, because God's will is supreme. The important thing to me is that God is moving in our lives, and that's AWESOME!!! I've printed flyers to put around campus for the concert at New City Cafe, so hopefully, there will be some publicity from that. I can't get in touch with the guys from Dishwater Blonde (and frankly, I can't find a website or anything), so I hope they don't get peeved at me for using their name in flyers and such. Yes, I did just use the word 'peeved'. God is good, all the time, God is good.
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:48 PM
So the whole thing is getting closer now. I'm almost getting butterflies in my stomach, but everything will be alright. I guess that the prospects of actually doing this Fuge thing are hitting me, but that needs to be ignored. Anything good that happens is the work of the Lord. My job, our job, is to do nothing. Nothing except love, and even that is something that we haven't the capacity to do completely without Jesus.
I am continually amazed at the righteousness and the wisdom of those around me. I am also amazed at the pain and suffering that others put themselves through just to avoid letting go and loving. Things should not be this way, but they are. As my friend Landon said, it's amazing that God is still a happy God. But I am grateful that there is joy sufficient enough for all.
I've got to work on Counterpoint now (that's medieval choir music to you, punctus contra punctum, unless, of course you're a music major or you're just interested in that sort of thing - I'm not sure why you would be). So I'll see you guys later. Know that our Lord is always with His children. Grace and Peace be unto you!
Posted by A. Whipple at 9:58 AM
She doesn't know I'm watching her.....
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:26 PM
I'm watching Brenda type on the blog two computers down from me. I wonder what she's typing....
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:26 PM
We've been sitting here in the Carson Newman library preparing for our Fuge audition. Things are really starting to pile up against us, and I think that God is really going to make us trust Him through all this. That's good, though. Something that Kat always tells me is consider the source. And I can't help thinking that if all these hardships are from the devil, then he really doesn't want us to go do this thing, which means that it's really going to bless some people's lives. This is truly a tiring and a taxing endeavor, but all of it will be a blessing in the end, so long as we trust God with our lives. "In all things, He works for the good of those who love Him." May the Lord be glorified in His house, in the hearts of men!
Posted by A. Whipple at 10:25 PM
Leaving the front desk this evening, I saw Bill for a little bit. Bill is one of the security guards at Carson Newman. He's between 60 and 70 and he'll talk your ear off. While he was talking my ear off, as he's done many times before, I thought about how I could possibly witness to somebody so much older than me. How could I possibly have any sort of testimony that would speak to someone like Bill (if you've talked to him for more than ten minutes, you probably know his life story, because after ten minutes, you'll be there an hour). There's one other security guard that's an old man. James. James isn't as talkative as Bill, but he's a good guy. I've asked him if there's anything I can pray about for him before, and he nearly took offense that someone such as myself (a young man of twenty) would offer any help to someone with James' years. It was kind of disheartening. I can't remember if I've asked Bill if I could pray for him before or not.
I think God has just told me that in truth, much of what old folks like that want is company. Just someone to sit with or talk with. Talk about nothing at all. Like Ten Bears on Dances with Wolves said, at his age, a warm fire and a good pipe are worth a lot (or something like that). Some old men just want someone to sit and listen while they ramble on about nothing. Maybe it's just cause they want to feel like they're worth something to someone. I wonder if I'll be like that at that age. Probably so, considering how much rambling I do at this stage in my life. There are some people that age though, that I could sit and listen to for hours on end. My great-grandfather is one. He was in the cavalry at Fort Oglethorpe in northern Georgia (where my mother was born). He's got stories upon stories in his head. And he's one of the most patient men I know. He has this beautiful white hair that scantily covers his stooped head. It'll be good to see people like that in heaven if that sort of thing is the way it's going to be there. To see people you've looked up to and see them even better than you knew them on earth. All thanks and praise to God in His Glory and Love for that! Anyways, I've got to stop rambling myself and get to bed. God bless you all!
Posted by A. Whipple at 12:25 AM
I'm sitting here talking to Kat about her evening. We had a good time this afternoon watching Finding Nemo and playing Nintendo. That's original Nintendo. We had fun playing Super Mario 3 and taking each other's controllers away from each other.
You know, sometimes we have those days when we all feel like Wile E. Coyote. You know, those days when nothing seems to go right and we don't succeed at anything. Those days when the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a train. But then, we have to remember that eventually, we'll hear "That's all folks!" and we'll remember that life is good, because God is good, all the time. Sorry if the Looney Tunes reference escaped you.
Please pray for us all this week, because we're getting ready for the audition this coming Friday at noon. We're going to have the fun of getting up at about 5:30 or 6am, in order to leave at 7 for Nashville. My church has just moved across the street to a new building, so things are really hectic there. I've personally got several things to do there (I think, I'm usually uninformed until the last minute). There's a lot going on in November for Nothing Done (as you can see), so please pray for us as we fly by the seat of our collective pants. Sorry that this post is so random, but I'm talking on the phone and typing at the same time, and, being a guy, I can't multi-task very well. Anyways, I'll talk to you later. May the Love and Peace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Posted by A. Whipple at 9:35 PM
Brenda, you are AWESOME!!!
Posted by A. Whipple at 2:14 AM
It is amazing that I'm even posting on here, considering my record for the past month. But I hope that you'll lack in vengeance and overflow with joy at my actions. Here I sit over a cup of good dark coffee, wondering what I'm going to do about my project that is due tomorrow. I'm absolutely overwhelmed by what God's done in the past few months. Here's an update. The most prominent thing in retrospect is God's action in Elissa's life. We're all open here, so I'll tell you myself, since she probably will try to beat my record for not posting for the longest time.
Plain and simple, Elissa was doing too much, and trying to have control of her life. We're all control freaks over something though, aren't we... Lyric Theater was doing the musical 'Babes in Arms', which is a play about a play (which is something that usually irritates me very much, but this one was good). Elissa had a major role in the singing and dancing, plus the rest of everything that she was trying to control schedule-wise. God up and stopped all that with what we thought was a hernia. The funny thing was that she never did anything that would cause one to have a hernia. But whatever it was stopped all singing and dancing and even walking cold. She was only able to walk short distances and could not even go to class for about a week. God took that time to show her that He is her Rock and shield. Turns out, she has Cat Scratch Fever. No, literally! When she first told me that, my response was "Isn't that an album?" Well, yes, but it's also the name of what she has, which is something you get from being scratched by a cat. Anyways, she's getting better and she's on a lot of drugs right now, but God's teaching has stayed with her, and that's the point.
As for me, God has been teaching me values. And teaching me not to think. That may sound like a bad thing, but if you know me well, you know that I think way too much and over-analyze (anybody catch the word 'anal' in there) everything. It's amazing how much more real life gets every day. Thank you guys so much for being patient with us. Please pray for us as we go about our lives and as we try to prepare music for things ahead. Come out and see us when we open for Dishwater Blonde at New City Cafe on November 29th. And if you know somebody from that band, give 'em the address for this website and tell them to contact me because I want to ask about doing posters for the concert around school. I looked up dishwater blonde on google and got all sorts of things that no one should look at. So that didn't work.
Thanks so much for praying for us. Please let us know how we can pray for you too. Always seek the Lord. I'm going to try and work on my project for tomorrow (or later today, as the case may be) now. Praise God that He showed me where the assignment was! I guess I've got to get it done now. I love you all. Grace and peace from our Lord and Savior.
Posted by A. Whipple at 2:06 AM
Out of boredom with this website, I'm beginning to make some other changes as well. Not that I really have time, what with school and all, but it's sort of a procrastination thing.......or something. Thanks for being so patient with us. We're in the midst of working on perfecting musical things and setting up gigs and other stuff. This semester is a complete killer, and it makes it difficult to do the music along with all the other stuff. Also, I think we've been in the 'ok, the honeymoon's over' stage for a while, and I think we're starting to see the end of that, so that's a definite plus. Please pray for us as we continue to try and minister through the opportunities this provides, and as we try to be diligent and strive for new things musically without just wading through creative mud. We're also trying to apply to do worship at Centrifuge next summer, so remember us in that aspect as well. Thank you all so much. Hey, if you want a website that gets posted on more often, go to Andy's blog, or go to Joe Mayfield's site, since it's a whole lot cooler than ours. Anyways, all that stuff aside, thanks for praying. We love you guys!
Posted by A. Whipple at 5:32 PM
By the way, new concert info is up, and we're hoping to get a few more set up.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:37 AM
So it's October. Cold air has set in and we absolutely love it. God has given me another mentor since Landon has left, and he's an awesome guy with a heart to follow Christ. Andy and I are in the midst of writing a song about Caleb. I'm going to start trying to write more often. This school year has been so hectic that at times I can barely hear myself think. Of course, that's probably best. God is continuing to teach me. He is absolutely full of joy and love. He is endless and He is good. Taste and see.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:30 AM
God told me that Jesus asks nothing of us which he himself did not do. I argued that Jesus, though he experienced all of temptation, did not experience the effects of sin in one's life. God came back with this: of course Jesus didn't deal with his sin, because he had none. He dealt with everyone else's. It's funny, but sometimes part of me wants to sin just to see clearly afterwards. I wish I could see clearly before hand. God has said that I will, and I just have to trust Him. He still delights in me, and it's almost unbelievable. The one who had no sin took my own and everyone else's upon his back, followed his Father's heart to his death, spent two days in Hell, and came back. There's not a whole lot to say, in fact, there's nothing to say. He is love, I cannot comprehend it.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:26 PM
I must admit, God has really been beating me over the head about what I said about the Bible not being His word. My agnostic opinions and dispositions came out when I took the fact, that God speaks to me through other things besides the Bible, to it's logical end. But then, God doesn't fit inside my logic. The Bible is definitely the Word of God. God speaks otherwise through the Holy Spirit, but the Bible is the Word of God. I'm so easily distracted, and when I stay distracted for a while, it's difficult to get me back on track, because I want to cling to that which distracted me.
Posted by A. Whipple at 12:21 PM
"He was a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering." (Is. 53:3) Some versions say 'disease' instead of 'suffering.' Funny thing: that's the way that God looks at sin. A sort of cancer that is constantly fought and battled with throughout our lives. "Surely He took up our infirmiries." (53:4) "...there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man, and his form marred beyond human likeness." (52:14) When you look at Christ as He carries our crosses (yeah, that's plural; I guaruntee that the two theives' burdens did not equate to our Savior's), He is barely even recognizable. His body is flayed from the Roman whip, which gave not forty lashes minus one, as the Jewish law states, but whipped until (as the Roman requirement dictated) the flesh hung from his back. He has had a forty-pound beam placed upon his shoulders, and he struggles to carry the weight of our sin up to the Hill of the Skull.
Yet the Weight of Sin is not so great as the Weight of Glory. The Glory of God itself is even so great as to frighten the Devil, whose power is only limited by that of God. I am a failure, plain and simple. And in my failure, I have very little to say (which is funny, because I tend to run my mouth a lot). Nothing can be said, save that my Saviour must be my Lord as well, and when I stumble, I must not give up and go running back down the mountain. God is more real than anything here. Don't really try to live for the world as the world dictates. Live to God and love the world with His passion.
Not that this has any bearing on anything I've said (as if anything I've said has any bearing), but I thought it was really funny. "You can't really be very well 'adjusted' to your world if it says you have a devil and ends by nailing you up naked to a stake of wood." -CS Lewis, The Four Loves
Posted by A. Whipple at 4:54 PM
Kat and I went to see Andrew Peterson at New City Cafe on Thursday (Sept. 11). The joy that fills my heart at the honesty and glory of God revealed in his music is always something which I want to imitate in my own songwriting.
Posted by A. Whipple at 4:24 PM
It is amazing the reality of God. Despite all the changing faces of emotion and circumstance, despite all the stupid stuff I do, He's there and He's the same. Not only does God love us, He likes us. He delights in us!
There are a few people in the world that I delight in, though we should treat all as Christ would treat them. But when you delight in someone, your face lights up when they enter the room. If they sin against you, it hurts not because it was an ignoble thing to do, but because a heart full of love will endure such things and continue to love, no matter how much hurt is caused. I wish that I could convey to you the full weight of things which have been shown to me recently, but either it is not within my capacity to say it in words, or it is too personal to share. God continues to make this a church instead of a band. We rely on each other as sisters and brothers more now than ever before I think. It's difficult to maintain these relationships at a level of deep involvement during school, but it's something that we must do if we are to be the Body of Christ. Also, we must reach out, and I hope that we will begin to do that soon. Any failure to seek out those that need help is my own, and I thank the Lord that He is always calling.
It seems like my Father is always just around the bend on this mountain trail of my life. Occasionally I get brief glimpses of His heels, soled in righteousness and glory unimaginable. As He goes ahead of me, preparing the way for me to get to Him, He calls. It sometimes sounds more distant than it is, since I tend to think way too much for someone who's supposed to have faith. I'm glad He's in control though. There is far less emotion in a life where He has control. But there are also many more of the seeds of joy. I want more. I want to be ever-full but ever thirsty, for He is new every moment, and He is endless, which is such an inconceivable thing for me. His Name alone is worthy of Glory and Honor.
Posted by A. Whipple at 4:19 PM
My God is gracious. My God is full of Love Divine. He draws the pearls out from the pigs where demons reside within. He calls His dirty and crooked children to Him and washes their hearts and feet. He is great and mighty, and His hand gives freely to all without finding fault.
Posted by A. Whipple at 1:40 PM
The nature of blindness is that is leaves you once that for which you were made blind is done. The nature of blindness is that there is one ray of light protruding through the darkness. That one ray of light is the quiet and peaceful words of our Father. That one ray of light is what we must cling to if we are to stay focused through the worst attacks that the devil will employ against us. This excuses no behavior that is contrary to the will of the Father, lest we lie to ourselves and say "The devil made me do it." Such a claim is blindness in of itself, for to think that we are wholly not responsible for our actions is to be ignorant of the first gift of God: free choice. Blindness is a bondage that is followed by the bondage of guilt, for once blindness leaves, and vision sets in, the first reaction is shame and a search for justification. And that is a net that many are never untangled from. Only God has the power to save from such things, but it is usually up to us to relinquish control and guilt to Him. Our sins, even the greatest ones (as if there were actually a scale) are nailed to the Cross of Jesus Christ, the One whose Love covers all.
Posted by A. Whipple at 1:29 PM
God doesn't ramble. And it's an awesome thing. Otherwise, we might eventually get tired of hearing Him go on and on, just like you will get tired of hearing me (I don't talk a lot or anything).
Posted by A. Whipple at 12:12 AM
I guess it's time to tell you guys about this. This is something that God showed me a several days ago. It is about the part of Ephesians 6 that talks about the Armor of God, but it doesn't begin in Ephesians.
It starts out in good old Exodus. In chapter 3, verse 5, God tells Moses to take off his sandals, for he's standing on holy ground. I wondered what it was about taking off the sandals that made it possible for Moses to stand on holy ground. I didn't know if it was to be more in connection with the ground (since it was holy), or if it was some Hebrew custom I didn't know about. But that was irrelevant. The other place that I remembered the Bible talking about shoes was in Ephesians and the Armor of God passage. I'm sure there are other passages and verses, but that was the first one that came to mind. In Ephesians 6:15, Paul says this:
"[Stand]...with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace."
Two words stand out to me: "readiness" and "peace." Remember now, that since the Fall of man, the entire world has been upside-down from what we expect it to be. That's the devil's big lie in the entire scheme of things. So readiness, in the sense that we think of it, is probably not what Paul is talking about. Let me give an example. At the end of every semester, all music majors do a jury on their principle instrument, whether it's voice or piano or whatever. If you told a music major to get ready for their jury, the first thing they would do is start freaking out. The second is that they would rush to prepare to the best of their ability. That is the worldly readiness. To gather things and gather ideas and gather wits and do one's best. To be ready in a heavenly sense is to be open in heart - in a sense, to take off one's sandals. To take off the worldly anxiety and put on the peace of God. An open heart has no idea what's going to happen next, and it's ok with that. An open heart entrusts the future to God. It may make plans, but it knows that in the end, God is supreme.
That was the beginning. He went on to show me the belt of truth. Now if you know me, you know that I like to use the truth as a weapon to cut down those who do not live by it. The problem with that is, that such actions do not coincide with living by the truth. If you read the passage in Ephesians, truth is equated to a belt. A belt, in Roman armor, held other pieces of the armor together. In our day, the belt holds up your pants. Both metaphors are applicable. If you take off the belt to use it as a weapon, your armor flies apart and your vulnerable. Plus your pants fall down, so now your vulnerable, naked, and falling down. So, in short, truth is a belt. Needless to say, I've spent a lot of time with my pants down. It is what holds all things together, and it causes those who do not live by it to stumble and be exposed. If you live by the truth, you have nothing to hide.
Next part: the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protects the heart and other vital organs from injury. I was not exactly sure what righteousness was, so I began to search. Through a footnote in a bible, God showed me that righteousness is appropriate Christian behavior. Behavior is an outward revelation of an inward character. So, since we cannot see if people truly love the Lord (unless we are given Spiritual vision and the ability to recognize such things), righteousness is limited to two things. Basically, love your fellow man and be self-controlled in order to honor God with your actions, body, and mind. This is the breastplate of righteousness, and it protects that which is vital from evil. Think about it, if you focus on truly loving someone, you will go out of your way not to harm them, indeed to even lift them up, and you will not think of your own reward for all this. Thus, you will not be given to selfishness, which is the human root of sin. Also, though we cannot see it in others, if you love the Lord, He will protect your heart as well. This is part of the breastplate that we must make sure of in ourselves.
I've already written about the readiness that is the Peace of God, so next is the Shield of Faith. In a book in the Apocrypha, the Wisdom of Solomon, chapter 5, verse 19, he says that the Lord's shield is His Holiness. In Ephesians 6:16, Paul say that our shield is faith in the Lord. So, if we have faith in our Father to save us, then the impenetrable Holiness of God Himself will be our shield.
After that is the Helmet of Salvation. Salvation protects the mind. The best way that I can show you this is by an example from my own life. I had been saved for about five years before coming to Carson-Newman. If I had not been saved when I came to Carson-Newman, and I had heard all the wacky ideas that some professors use to make you come outside your box, I would have formed all sorts of ideas about God that were not right at all. I fully believe that the Salvation from God kept my mind where it should be, and led me on the course that I have run (not that I'm done by any means!). Though I've screwed up so many times that I've lost count, my God loves me, and I can take Joy in that. He has still guided my path and kept me on His path, calling me when I've strayed.
The last thing is the Sword of the Spirit. Paul says that this is the Word of God. Now, here, in order to give you the full truth in this matter, I am forced to present an idea to you which might not be so palatable for some people. I don't know how else to say it without beating around the bush, so I'll just go ahead and say it. The Bible is not the only Word of God. The Word of God is the Word of God. If you read in the Bible in the beginning of John's record of the gospel, this is quite evident, through one of Jesus's closest followers. Granted, we should read our Bibles as Christians, but even in the Bible, it is evident that the Bible is not the only thing to read. Paul says in 2 Timothy that "all Scripture is God-breathed," not "all that is God-breathed is Scripture." He also says, "[Scripture] is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness." So, the Bible is a record of the Hebrew people, the Gospel, and those in the early church, and God speaks through this book very often. Please read your Bible! It is part of the training that God wants you to have, and He will speak to you through it! Remember Elijah in 1 Kings 19:7. "Get up and eat" is the principle that Katrina and I try to live by. God will feed you through the reading of Scriptures. It is the central book of our faith, but the Bible is not all that God has to say. He is not silent. He has indeed spoken many times and through many circumstances, books, songs, paintings, and other things since the last part of the current Bible was canonized. Now, that being said, I must tell you that the Sword works on the same basis as the Shield. If you have faith in God, He will fight for you. Remember in Exodus 17:11 where as long as Moses held up the staff, God went before the Israelites? That's the sort of thing I'm talking about. Sometimes He'll even fight through you, like He did through the Israelites in that same battle against the Amalekites. But know that "It is mine to avenge; I will repay" (Deut. 32:35). Notice also that this is the ONLY offensive thing, and it is up to the Lord. If you take the belt of truth off and try to use it as a weapon, your pants are going to fall down. You'll be exposed and you'll fall down. Remember, I'm not saying not to read your Bible. You should indeed do that, and do it daily. But it is not good for us to use the Bible as a weapon against the failures of the children of God, who are our brothers and sisters (since we all have failures and the best that we can give is worthless, but for the grace and power of God). We must open our hearts to what the Father has to say to us. Live to love and let the Father fight for you.
The other thing I wanted to mention (in case you haven't cursed me for a heathen and stopped reading by this point), is that none of these things are inherent in our bodies. The Truth is not in us. Salvation is not in us. The Sword of the Spirit is not in us. None of the armor is in us, it must be taken up each day. Thanks for listening. Please forgive any arrogance I've had (I am indeed human), and let the Father speak to you.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. -David, Psalm 34:8
" 'At present your business is to see. Come and see. He is endless. Come and feed.'". -CS Lewis, The Great Divorce
Posted by A. Whipple at 4:05 PM
To think that the voice that speaks in the power of distant thunder speaks love to my heart! Sing out, my soul, for you are a home to the One whose Name is Beyond Understanding!
Posted by A. Whipple at 2:11 PM
We just played at Leadvale Baptist Church in White Pine. And there are a few more concerts that are going to be at churches. I think that it's going to be sort of subjective as to whether we publicize the concerts at churches, since those are sort of private. But I'm sure no pastor would object to someone coming to have fellowship and learn about the Scriptures. Anyways, I'll tell you about the past few hours of concert and fun. We went to the basement of Burnette dorm to go over what to practice, and Father bless Elissa for praying about what to play. I don't really think that God had a beef about the whole thing, but I could be wrong. I guess it's stupid of me to think that God would not care about what I'm doing if He cares about me. Well, I guess you didn't log on here to hear about my self-doubt and faithlessness, so I'll get on with the story. It began to rain furiously while we were practicing. So Brenda and Kat ran through the rain to get Brenda's car, and I ran through the rain to get Kat's stuff out of our car. We loaded Brenda's car in the monsoon and then drove me to Alumni to change clothes. I also picked up the raincoats there (God was watching out for us, Kat and I just brought those up here today). So we made it to the church just before the service started. There were some other people that sang. They all did a phenomenal job and it was mostly old-time hymns and old southern gospel folk songs. We played There's a Stirring and Nail Me Up, which ended up being really funny. We start the song with the first verse of Battle Hymn of the Republic a capella. And by the time we got to the guitar part, we were a half-step sharp. We knew it too, what's more, but we just had to go with it. It was funny though, and it was only bad for a second.
After the service, we went to Sonic and then to Kat's and watched The Emperor's New Groove, which is probably my favorite animated movie. But Elissa and Brenda hadn't seen it, so (despite the fact that Kat's really tired of it) we watched it. I'll let Elissa tell you about the incident with her eye if she feels led to do so. But, like I said, God's beginning to bust this whole thing wide open. I need to devote myself to prayer and study. I love you! May the God of Abraham be your Rock.
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:13 PM
I'm going to share something with you that is quite personal. I have been, for the past few weeks, dealing with the Power of God being in me, and what all that means. For a while now, I've made an issue out of being "in control" of the Power of God. I thought that it was up to me to decide to use it. This is a stupid idea, since, even if I want to use it all the time and use it for good, it is not mine to control. I am the Lord's to control. Make no mistake, I'm not talking about actually moving mountains (since that is not the Lord's will in my life at this time), but in a sense, that is what I'm talking about, metaphorically speaking. It truly impacts people when you overflow with the Power of God in the Spirit, and that's an impact I want to have. But, I began to lose sight of the fact that, it's not my job to create those situations and generate that impact. My job is only to love. This is how God brought me back to this understanding.
I was going to go to bed early on Friday night. So I got in bed at 10-10:15-ish and got to sleep about 10:30. (That's early for a college student.) I had battled with my conscience about faith over passing a test which I needed to pass at the beginning of this semester. I was trying desperately to let go of my lack of faith. Finally drawing the battle to a temporary lull, I went to sleep. God spoke to me through a dream. I was riding in the back of a van. It was dark and no one else was in the van. It was just barely light enough for me to see the dark road ahead and that nobody was driving the van. I could not reach the steering wheel, for a spirit which I could not see was preventing me from doing so. The van did not go off the road, but careened dangerously toward the edge of the road. It was at that point that I awoke and had to take a minute to catch my breath. (You ever have one of those dreams where you hold your breath, and then wake up suddenly and have to remember to breath? This was one of those.) God would not let me go back to sleep. He told me to get up and read, so after some deliberation (ever argue with God? I tend to lose when I do), I got up and read. He showed me Acts chapter 8 where Phillip witnesses to the Ethiopian eunuch on the road to Gaza. The Spirit leads Phillip to a wagon (or something) that the Ethiopian man is riding in. So Phillip goes up to the wagon and stays with it. From that point on, it is up to Phillip to love the man enough to share the Gospel with him and to baptize him. After Phillip has finished this work, the Spirit immediately transports him to another town that is about 25 miles away, where he continues preaching.
If it were me, I'd be like "Whoa! Let's do that again!" And that's my failure. I get so stuck on the Power of God through the Spirit, that I forget to love. And, as you know, Jesus laid down His Power because of His Love for us. So, God's message to me in all this: the love is your sole purpose and fulfillment. The power is His area, not mine, to worry about.
Anyways, I hope that you're not weirded out by this whole thing. I mentioned it to let you in. I want you to see that I'm not perfect, and that I have nothing which you do not or cannot have. My occupation is love, and most of the time, despite the fact that I fail at it, I am loved by the One who sets the sun ablaze. I love you all, be it poor and unfulfilling, I love you! Thanks for listening.
Posted by A. Whipple at 1:57 AM
It's been a while since anyone's posted. And I ask your forgiveness for that, we've all been pretty busy, but I'm going to do my best to give you guys an idea of something very significant that we've been shown recently. God led me through studying the passage about the armor of God very closely, and I shared what He showed me with Kat, Elissa, Brenda, and Andy. I'll share that with you later. But suffice it to say, along with that, and through that, He showed us the true nature of the Body of Christ.
I don't know how many of you have ever met someone like I'm about to tell you about, and I can't explain it fully unless you understand, but I will do my best. There are people on this earth who have the zeal of the Lord wrapped around them like a cloak (like in Isaiah 59:17). A cloak is something which keeps one warm, and if you see these people, you would know the warmth of which I am speaking. It is something which seems to flow from the whole being of the person. It is something which, ironically, can only seem to be grasped with the most intimate of the senses, taste. Like water, it cannot be grasped, but it envelopes you when you are in their presence. Your spirit can taste it, and it makes you crave more like nothing else in the world. He does not create anything that we can desire like we can desire Him. It is pure Joy and True Love and Peace rolled into one. If the few people I know who seem to pour forth this Joy constantly were lined up in front of me (mind, I could count them on one hand), I would be overcome with awe and peace, and I would want what they have more than anything. That is the body of Christ. Those with zeal for the Lord brought together. We preach and are preached to about others wanting what we have, but for them to want it, we must have it. If we, who call ourselves the children of God, were all to overflow with His presence in this manner, what a formidable force we would be in the presence of the enemies of the Kingdom! For who can stand against the power of God? Who can raise a hand to His holiness? Great and mighty is He who breathes the cosmos in motion!
That all said, it is not the music of Nothing Done that is our ministry, our service. Servanthood is a humbling experience, and to have to fight so hard against the devil to remain humble (at least, that's what I have to do) ought to signify in our minds that 'being in a band' is not a humbling experience when people like your music. But maybe I just have a problem with pride. Even still, how many times did Jesus (who overcame pride as with every other temptation) tell his disciples and those he healed "Tell no one what you have seen"? No, service is the washing of feet. Service is doing that which is unexpected and graceful simply because it is graceful. Service is doing with a heart which is thankful to God the jobs that others bicker to keep from doing. The Lord has shown us that we are a church, and that our servanthood is beginning. The music will not disappear, it is merely a wonderful bi-product of this church which the Father has created. The music is a thing which God used to bring us together, and which He continues to use to bind us together. With that I leave you and ask you to pray for us and even to join us in service. But know that if you join us, you must give yourself wholly, and hold onto nothing except the Father. Glory be to His most Holy and Mighty Name!
Posted by A. Whipple at 4:25 PM
I've come up with three new words. They are as follows:
Terrapule - 'terra' meaning 'earth' and 'pule' as a variation of 'pull'. Terrapule would be translated in modern correct english as vacation, or sabbatical. But since vacations with my family are never really fun affairs, I had to invent a word which meant a fun outing of an extended nature.
Knoblauch - simply put, a knoblauch is a giant pickle. It is broken down into 'knob', which is sort of the shape that I giant pickle might be compared to, and 'blauch', which represents the sound and face one might make when biting into a giant pickle. The word is regularly interchangeable with 'pickle' in various forms ('I ate a pickle', 'We're in a pickle here'), so long as the application calls for a more superlative form of pickle.
Kazepaste - the pictures that people draw one dusty car windows. Car window art. Rooted in the Japanese word 'Kaze' meaning 'wind' and 'paste' (pah-stay') which is traced to either paste (as in glue) or pastel, both of which are found in the visual arts.
Posted by A. Whipple at 3:54 PM
I'm learning the importance of meeting with God before I do anything at all. He is my rock and my shield, I can do nothing without Him and all things through Him. Praise be to the Lord Almighty!
Posted by A. Whipple at 11:14 AM
Put a couple new songs up. Enjoy!
Posted by A. Whipple at 3:54 AM
I really loved doing the concert at New City! I'm not completely myself right now, cause the devil took advantage of me letting down my guard afterwards, but that's a different story. Anyways, it was good to be able to just do a concert in front of friends and family. If there were a bunch of different people there, I think we would've felt obligated to impress someone, which was not and is not the goal that we seek. But the new version of Flower Box went really well. For those of you who heard it and didn't hear the old version, they're both really good. The old version is on guitar and the new one of course on piano. The old one had a sort of melancholy folk sound to it. The new one is a lot of jazz chords. It went amazingly well (especially given my limited piano skills). I think this concert was a lot better for us spiritually than it was for the audience connection. But they were mostly friends and family. And the ones who are closest could see that there was spiritual change.
I've discovered that I want to hang out with Bethany Bull more often. I think that she really has a whole lot to say that I need to hear. Bethany, if you read this, I mean that, I'm not just BS-ing. I really connected with Chris at this concert too. He's the sort of person with a servant's heart that I want to have. I can't really say much about the music, because if you're looking for an aesthetical pleasure, then it didn't really suit you tonight. But hopefully that will get better with time and practice. But this is more of a church than a band, and that became incredibly obvious to me tonight.
Anyways, I've got to go to bed, because I'm going to be up tomorrow to help folks move in. I love you guys! Thanks for supporting us! New pictures will be up hopefully within the next few days, so keep checking back. May the Grace of our Savior Jesus Christ be upon you wherever you go!
Posted by A. Whipple at 3:28 AM
// John 5:30 // we are the pen; God is the author
Miscellaneous apparitions
no concerts
Correspondence
Brenda -
tcshanx@yahoo.com
Elissa - elissakeck@hotmail.com
Adam - adamwhipple@hotmail.com
Accumulated paraphernalia
Caedmon's Call
Derek Webb
Bethany Nobles
Katrina's Website
New City Cafe
Joe Mayfield's Site
Andy Vandergriff's blog
Andrew Peterson
Many
moons
ago
