The Face of San Fran

 

Thankful

I’m so thankful for the newest additions to my family.

And for the man I get to spend the rest of my life with.

Words

You learn to speak by speaking,

to study by studying

To run by running,

to work by working.

And just so,

you learn to love by loving.

Begin as a mere apprentice

And the very power of love

Will lead you to become a master of the art.

-St Francis of Sales

….more words to come. There is much burning inside of my heart lately, good things…..

Sneak Peek…

A few weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to do photography for the two most amazing people ever! Here is a sneak peak…I still have hundreds of shots to sort through…..

Until the Open Road Leads Me Home….

So don’t get down
Good things come when you stop waiting around
Good things come when you stop looking
Don’t get down
You’ve just got to stop looking
(Kathleen Edwards, Good Things)

I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of waiting lately; of always being in some mode of preparation but time just inches by slowly as every moment passes. The possibility of only pacing through the days is always there, quickly whispering to my heart- it’s ok, it will always be like this, so relax, don’t dream, don’t live, just live with how it all is.

That is not me. The past 7 years of my life were not lived so that I could just become some lazy stump of a human being that works at a coffeehouse, hangs with the guys, and wakes up to the do the same thing all over again. I’m trying to intensely break myself of all cycles in my life, that is one of them. Being home, I have every opportunity to just float through life, doing all the things that people think or feel I should be doing and in turn shutting of so many of my hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

I am young. I have my entire life ahead of me, yet as of late I wake with this idea that this is it for me. This is far from it. This season is a launch pad of preparation, restoration, and intimacy with God. Once I realize that, pieces begin to fall into place and my current boring existence has a mission, a passion, a purpose. No matter how many minutes I take living frustrated about being here and not where I would truly want to be.

Good things come to those who stop waiting around.

I’m trying to be productive in my waiting. To do good even though time inches by me. Having faith in something doesn’t mean just sitting on our rear ends hoping that God brings opportunity into our lives.

Faith is doing. Living. Breathing. Discovering. Preparing. Restoring.

Every single day brings me closer to where my heart longs to be. Everyday I am broken more into the person I was called to become. Everyday I am frustrated with where I am at and long to change all of these things that rage inside of me. Everyday I miss friends in my life with such intensity that I don’t know at times how to make it to the next minute.

I’m learning.
I’m writing more songs than I have in a long time.
I’m finally reading all the books I have never had time to read.
I’m building the church, through one friendship at a time.
I’m saving every single penny I make for the next season in my life.
I’m getting rid of so many things that I don’t need in the waking realization that less truly is more.

When I finally realize what is in front of me and all around me, my heart wants to burst at the seams. But, this realization only comes at the point when I stop giving up and make an effort.

I’m finding…

You cannot grow alone. I seek community far more than I ever imagined possible. And I feel like I haven’t found it quite yet.

I am not yet the person I want someone to fall in love with.

Change is still the only thing that endures.

I still have a lot of breaking to do from the last season of my life so that I can live fully into the next.

God is the only constant in my life. It is Him I will hold on to.

I will get through this. Through every new song, every new cup of coffee, every friendship that has stood the test of time, every moment I spend in the presence of God.

Until the open road leads me home.

Two Weeks from Yesterday…..

(Let’s just say, I have plenty to write and vent about at the moment. This is the latest tune.) 

 

Everyday, I’m torn and stained

As this heart longs for rain.

If I cry out long enough,

Maybe I’ll learn to control the pain.

 

Of a soul that’s lost it’s home

Gone away from the city at night.

To the barren land of beginning’s edge

Into the dark, away from the light.

 

 

Two weeks from yesterday

I was found going on my way

And wake only now to pray

For two weeks from yesterday.

 

 

As the nights just pass me by

And all goes up in smoke.

And I got no more tears to cry

But I’ll find one more reason to hope.

 

For this life is not done yet.

But it seems I got nothing left.

So I still pace and fret.

But I’ll live life once again. 

 

One More Request….

 

The triumphs. The tears. 

The late night trips, the tracks in the sound, the city lights. 

The sushi, the coffee, the love. 

 

Change is inevitabable. 

But, this is not the end. 

And I won’t forget. 

Will you? 

 

 

Record Release

A perfect night. Playing music with some of my best friends in the world, for some of my best friends in the world. Selling records, going out to dinner afterwards, saying good bye. 

I couldn’t have asked for a better show. 

It was everything I hoped for and more. 

 

(The Band) 

 

And this is what I have to put up with…..

Silly boys….

Senior Day

One of the perks of being a senior in college…..senior ditch day. It was amazing. We hiked up Multnomah Falls, took a jet boat ride through Portland and beyond, and had sushi later. A good day.

Except for the fact that I am feeling aches in muscles that I didn’t even know I possessed. Pathetic.

Some photos….

And worry not, I’m feeling a blog of ranting coming on sometime tonight. It’s been a while since I spewed out my thoughts all over the internet. And, believe me, at this point in the craziness of my days, I have a lot to say and a lot to think about.

2 days until the Record Release Show. I’m stoked.

Sounds

I have my own particular sorrows, loves, delights; and you have yours.  But sorrow, gladness, yearning, hope, love, belong to all of us, in all times and in all places.  Music is the only means whereby we feel these emotions in their universality. 

~H.A. Overstreet-

 

I’m attempting to fill my existence with as much music as humanly possible. No matter where or what, no matter with whom or how.I just know to keep playing, that’s about all I know at this point. I don’t know how it will all look in a few short months or spanning across numerous years. But, I will always play. I truly don’t think I could function without the aspect of music in my life. It seems like all I’ve been doing has revolved around music. I’m always packing and unpacking gear, playing all over the place, recording, finishing up the record, preparing for the show. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am fully alive when  music is an aspect in my life. 

 Last night I played with an amazing friend, Zach Whiton, at a sweet soda shop in Vancouver, WA. I played the tambourine, sang sweet country drawl vocals, and even a bit of harmonica. Not my usual elements, but it was so fun. And there’s nothing like getting thrown into doing a couple of your own songs as an opener randomly. Such a good day.