I’ve been meaning to write this since Tuesday but haven’t gotten around to it. This is my build up post of the week. I’m in the middle of a very transitional time. I’m kind of doing the hippy thing next week and just packing my car with all my clothes and cds and moving to Nashville Music City USA to see what happens. There are a couple people who are going above and beyond in helping me through this time. I really appreciate them. I hope someday I’ll be able to do something to really bless them back.

Loren is a new friend to me. She’s my friend Boone’s girlfriend. I met her in Nashville two weeks ago. Yet, she is letting me crash at her place for a couple weeks till I can find a job and find a place to live. She is excited about this! I am too! Loren is one of those people that loves on you from the minute she meets you. She likes people alot, is sweeet, and funny. She likes some good music too. I’m excited about spending some more time with Loren over the next couple weeks! I have a feeling the next couple of weeks are going to be a really good time, kind of like the good fun part of college all over again. Thankfully without the studying!

Thank you Loren for being a good friend. I really appreciate you! I’m looking forward to hanging next week!

Really good news: after being admitted to the hospital and a long couple days the doctors say Jay may have never had a stroke, there is a new study done finding a certain kind of migraine that has stroke-like symptoms.  Crazy. I don’t have an explanation for this except God answers prayer. I was overwhelmed by the amount of praying from one very quickly typed blog post and one very quickly sent email. Its awesome to see the body of Christ being the body of Christ. All this made me think too how things often look a certain way to us (really hopeless) but its not always the case. I was pretty bummed to have to come home from Nashville last week still jobless but Monday night/Tuesday morning as I sat praying at my neighbors house I thought about how few people could sacrifice basically an entire Monday night due to work, school, etc. but I could since I was nearby and jobless. Maybe that was the purpose of me coming home, to be a blessing to someone else. Trust me when Steph walked in after leaving Jay in the hospital for the night it was worth it to me. I’m not saying what I did was so grand. In fact I wish I could have done more. I’m just saying its good to be doing something not for myself. It also put my own worries and problems into perspective…and for that I’m thankful. I’m also really thankful that God was very merciful to Jay and Steph and their beautiful kids. I’m thankful too for the who knows how many people out there praying. Your prayers were answered in a huge way.

I don’t really know how many people read this blog but whoever does I have a pretty urgent prayer request. My neighbors Jay and Steph who attend my church and were my youth leaders from junior high till my senior year of college, are a young couple 30 years old. They are awesome, fun, loving people. Jay just had his second stroke. We have no idea what this means or how he is or if he’s even going to make it right now. He’s 30 and the father of a seven year old girl Ella and a little boy who just turned four on Saturday Griffin. They are at the hospital and my sister is watching the kids. I’m switching out with my sister. It might be a very long night for them and me. Please pray for them. Tell anyone you know to pray for them. Maybe somehow we could get this on here. They are Jay and Steph’s favorite band. I gave them tickets to go see them two years ago after they went through another hard time. It was one of the best nights in their family’s life.

Thanks for praying. I know there is nothing Jay and Steph want more now.

The end result of GMA week: still no job yet. Lots happening. I’m still planning to move to Nashville asap.

With all that being said, I just wanted to say some kind words about some important people in my life right now because it is really good to build up each other.

Mike and Lisa Snider are some of the most caring people I know. They are both smart business people, LOVE music, and you can really see Jesus in their lives. They want me to move near them so bad but they also know it will work out in God’s timing. I love talking to them because they appreciate honesty and are very open. Mike and I had a meeting this week for over an hour, originally there was a job possiblity but being the smart business person he is, he consolidated and eliminated the need for hiring a new person but he still spent the hour with me anyway because he cares. He told me all this and told me it wasn’t easy for them to realize they couldn’t hire me right now. The rest of the time he spent listening to my life story. He’s a great listener.  He’s funny. Mike and Lisa share very similar interests as me as well as views on how music and faith intersect. They love what they do as much as I love what I do.  Lisa is such a confident woman but so sweet. They are a great team. I can really not say enough good things about both of them. I look forward to moving down here and spending more face time with them. They both have lots of wisdom. They are always willing to make time for their friends. The pray often for me. I value their friendship. Thank you Mike and Lisa for being real with me.

me, Lisa, and Mike at the Dove Awards after party as taken by the highly skilled photographer Mike from MercyMe

Its been awhile since I posted cause I still feel no one reads this…but I’m going to keep at it. I’m in Nashville for GMA week (gospel music week). Its my second year down here but I’ve been involved in the industry on a pretty deep level for along time. I try to keep GMA week pretty chill and not stress about how things go. I’m stressing less and chillin’ even more this year. I think if you take GMA week like that and accept the faults in the industry, it can be a really good week. This weekend during the boot camp I went to alot of session because they dealt with the field I hope to have a job in by the end of the week. Today till Wednesday I’m spending most of my time in personal meetings related to my job search, checking out new bands, hanging out with friends, and possibly apartment hunting. We’ll see how it goes. The some of the highlights of today were hearing the new Third Day album, catching up with these guys, meeting Brody who shares a lot of awesome mutual friends as me and was hopefullly not too creeped out by me randomly talking to hime for awhile, and seeing a bunch of other friends…too many to name. I don’t like to sound like I’m name dropping too much and I’m trying to keep this a little blog related.

Tonight: I’m definitely going to the songwriter’s showcase…maybe a little of the worship service and maybe part of another showcase…

We’ll see how it goes. I have a sweet picture I took on my brand new digital camera I wish I could upload right now but I don’t have time…I’ll try to get it up asap. Its from the Presidential Suite on the 25th floor of the Renassaince hotel…I was at a networking party Friday night thrown by a booking agency…I also have a fun candid shot of Third Day at their album listening party today.

One of my many responsibilities at the radio station is to keep up with basically all correspondence. Today as I wait for Mark Lee to call, I checked the office email and got this: The Christian Car Guy - Saturdays 10-11a ET Now Available! AMC-3 SR5; Unity 4000 Receiver The Christian Car Guy talk show is changing the way Americans look at their cars. They need to be safe, they need to be paid for, and they need tenderloving care, with a name like “Old Red”.  Automotive advice not by the BlackBook, not by the Blue Book, but by God’s Book - The Bible. This call in show has easy-to-understand advice relating to all your car needs from the Christian Car Guy, Robby Dilmore. From creaks to leaks, purchase or lease, the Christian Car Guy is your source for Biblical-based advice on all your automotive questions. Call the Christian Car Guy Saturdays at 10am ET at 866-34-TRUTH. *   Natural show to draw automotive advertisers o       Car Dealerships, used car lotso       Insurance agents, o       Body Shops, Independent shopso       Parts stores, Tire storeso       Truck and RV centers*   Large Loyal listening audience with an automotive need*   Add Diversity to your line up keeping Clear Christian Values If you want to carry The Christian Car Guy on your station, please contact WTRU at 336-909-2779. I’m in shock. 

I found out today I have 3 artists interviews in my remaining week at the radio station. I don’t mind doing interviews and have done plenty in my day. Considering the first is tomorrow and I just found that out today I could use a little help. I am going to be interviewing this guy tomorrow and need some good questions. What have you always wanted to know about Mark Lee and Third Day? You can listen to the interview at 10AM EST (give or take a couple minutes since artists are almost always running late) here. Click the streaming online button at the top of the page.

There is a lot of stuff happening in my life right now. Crazy stuff. Everything is happening at once. I’m usually a upbeat, positive, and fairly happy person but all this has me hiding that I’m scared witless. I really might have my dream job in 2 weeks. Didn’t think there was even a chance of that happening. There is another situation in my life right now too that could potential change my life even more than the job situation and part of me just knows this is all going to work out. Yet I’m still scared. I’m not strong enough to handle all this but everything could turn out really, really good like too good to be true.  The good coming out of this suspense waiting period where I am almost overcome with fear: I have to trust Jesus. I like being in control. I’m management person but this is all way far out of control and I don’t want to control the outcome of this because I’m not sure what I want to happen.  Something huge is about to happen, I know it and it scares me. For this first time in my life, I’m glad I’m not in control of this.Gina Blaze from Fires of Prayer shared with me something at the SoulFest last year when I was going through another hard situation that changed my life. The paraphrase of  what she shared is peace is something we consciously equip ourselves with as part of the armor of God. I’m trying to have a spirit of peace about this all. Gina Blaze is the real deal. In my years of working for the SoulFest, I’ve skeptically avoided their ministry at the SoulFest until I desperately needed it and Gina sought me out. Plus she bought me a delicious iced coffee after she prayed with me. Who does that? Thank you Gina for the coffee and the advice God knew I would still be using months later…

So I have been a little dead on here because I didn’t have anything I wanted to talk about. I got laid off. I didn’t want to be at the radio station much longer anyway but it was still a little bit of a blow. Let’s face it, no one likes to get laid off. It’s just kind of violating.But right after I got laid off, God just really showed me now is the time for me to move to Nashville. I’m still working out the details. I’ll be down there again this year for that crazy, crazy thing called GMA week in about a month.The other day I was sitting alone at work. (I have two weeks left) I was thinking about Brody and how the music industry is changing so much yet what he is doing with artists and the whole blogging thing is keeping him at least somewhat on top of the game.  So I thought about what set me apart from many other people in the industry and came up with a job position that does not currently exist and why I am perfect for this position. So beginning with an IM conversation(already done), followed by an email then a phone call I’m hopefully going to be selling this idea to my number one choice of employers to work for. The weird part is it is one of these guys Brody wrote about here. I’m not saying which…but if you are a praying person please pray for me.  I’m excited. I’ve got one heck of an email to write when I get home today. I’m suppose to whet my hopefully future boss’s appetite enough that he is dying to hear the end of my idea. The end of the idea I will give to him in a phone call over his vacation. I’m excited this idea is definitely from God and not me, I think something potential huge could come of it…(huge meaning not just for me but for the industry and consumers, etc.)