For those of you in the Atlanta area, I'm playing for Theatrical Outfit's performance of Godspell.  The music from the show has been vastly updated so that the arrangements of the tunes sound much more contemporary, but the bulk of the show is true to the original.  There's also one new song (i think it was from the movie?), Beautiful City, that is part of the show and done in a pretty cool way. The cast is excellent, sounds great, and the band rocks.  I'm playing every show from now until May 11.  If you're looking for some good entertainment w/ a good message that's out of the normal movie/dinner routine, I can't recommend the show enough.  And to top it off - mention my name while booking tickets and you get them for half-price.  How's that for pretty awesome?  Visit Theatrical Outfit's site for more info, and be sure to say hey after the show if you come! -ll

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I've Discovered a Gold Mine

As most of you know, I'm working on my first novel. It is a delightful, laborious process--full of self-loathing, failure, and delicious triumphs. I have been working on this thing for about three years, and very seriously for about a year and a half. I started a journal for my novel last May, just to keep track of how much time I was really spending and to make notes along the way (more for a history than as a tool to help me with the book).

On May 2, 2007 I had 99 pages written and I was in the process of re-writing those 99 pages; today, I have 259 pages of manuscript. Oh, and when I got to page 237, I went back and rewrote everything again! Still, I am forging on. When I write, "The End," I'll go back and write a new chapter to open the book, and re-write (again) the first sixty pages, which I still don't like. It would only be then, when I could begin my second draft. You see why this can be so hard? Especially for a first-timer who is writing in first-person present tense.

All this preamble is to say that I have discovered a gold mine in the Barnes and Noble "Meet the Writers" podcasts. These 15-minute talks are incredible. They are very relaxed and fluid, but contain inspiration and casual details on how the best-known writers of today write. It is also a thrill to hear some of my favorites talk candidly about their books. I'm addicted, having listened to 18 of them since Friday. Steve Bertrand (who is this guy, and why is he so familiar?) hosts. You can find the podcasts in iTunes by searching "Barnes and Noble."

My favorite dialogues so far: David Sedaris, Ken Follett, Garrison Keillor, Joyce Carol Oates, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Stephen L. Carter, Michael Chabon, Henry Winkler, and Julia Glass. Of those, I've only read: Sedaris, Keillor, and Carter. I'm very interested in reading all of them, particularly Mitchard, after these interviews.

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Given six months to train, study, and prepare I feel like I'd have a better than average shot to be successful in the following careers. Keep in mind, each would require a minimum of four hours a day for me to really master. Still, I think I could do it.

• Employed Lyricist
• Hollywood-bound American Idol contestant
• Professional Bowler
• Body Double for Matthew McConaughey
• The next Tom Bergeron

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Hey folks -

I’m moving! Some of you have probably already heard, while for some of you this may come as a complete surprise.  We are relocating to Greenville, SC in order to pursue a relationship with an organization called Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Although I had been introduced to Sovereign Grace a while back through their music publishing, I was largely unaware of their church planting efforts until researching them about two years ago. What I discovered surprised, edified, and challenged me.  They are a family of churches that is essentially reformed with a charismatic practice as biblically defined.   The more I discovered about them, the more that their doctrine and practices resonated with what I believe God desires for me and from me.

One example is their belief that, whenever possible, leadership of the local church should come from within.  For instance, I couldn’t simply apply for a job at a Sovereign Grace church to be the music director.  Instead, I would first need to join a Sovereign Grace church. The church’s leadership would then assess my character, capabilities, and conduct in the home.  If their assessment confirms that I am fit and capable of serving the church in a leadership capacity, I may be asked to attend seminary and eventually serve in vocational ministry.  We are relocating to Greenville so that we may pursue this end.

There are approximately 67 churches affiliated with Sovereign Grace at this time.  The closest one to where we live is in Acworth, GA – too far for us to effectively commute and be a part of the congregation.  When we realized that moving somewhere was the only option, we finally came to decide on relocating to Greenville, SC.  Sovereign Grace has a thriving church plant in Greenville, and its pastor Jim Britt has served faithfully with Sovereign Grace for over twenty years.  In addition, Jim was our main initial contact with Sovereign Grace as he helps coordinate church activity for Georgia, South and North Carolina, so we already knew a friendly face there. It would also seem that Greenville is more wonderful than Disney World since everyone we tell about moving who’s been there says that we’re going to love it!

We’ll still be in Atlanta until the end of May.  Between now and then we’ll be finishing up the sale of our current home and the purchase of our new one in Greenville.  The new home also needs work done on it before we can move in, so we’ve got a couple weeks allotted for that.  I’m also seeking to continue lessons at least one day a week here in Atlanta if I can line up enough students to justify it.  Then of course I’ll need to find work in Greenville.  Christine’s mom is also moving and living with us. And I’m doing a recording project (more about that later).  And starting a show (more about that too). Yep, quite a few things to get sorted out between now and then! 

Atlanta has been very good to us, and we’ll definitely be missing our friends here.  Thankfully, it’s just a couple hours down 85, and I don’t see this as much as “Goodbye, ATL” as I do “Hello, Greenville!”  -eb (ll)

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