Ragamuffin Ramblings

On January 6, 2012, exactly five months ago, my life changed forever. During my morning commute to Danville High School, where I teach math, my car was struck head on by an SUV. The damage to my car was so severe that rescue crews had cut through the vehicle to extricate me. I was immediately airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center where I underwent surgery to repair my multiple injuries, which included a broken femur bone (broken in two places), a broken kneecap, several broken bones in my foot, and cracks in my pelvis. I also sustained significant nerve damage that severely inhibited my walking ability. In order to walk normally, I now must wear an AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthotic) brace for the rest of my life.

I share this with you today to encourage you. Where is the encouragement, you might ask? I’ve asked myself that same question during these five months of recovery and rehabilitation. In fact, I’m still struggling to find answers in wake of this traumatic event. Why did this have to happen? Why do I have to wear a leg brace for the rest of my life? Why me? But there is one thing I cling to—one thing I know: that my God is faithful on the rainy days and the sunny days, and he will never leave my side.

Don’t believe me? Then let me tell you of his faithfulness. To begin with, God has shown his faithfulness in sparing my life on that fateful day in January. After witnessing my injuries firsthand at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, several of my doctors commented that I was lucky to still be alive after such a horrific accident. What they attribute to luck, I attribute to God’s all-sufficient protection. It’s also important to add that car accidents like mine tend to result in head and spine injuries. Thankfully, and because of God’s faithfulness, I did not sustain any such injuries.

Still don’t believe in God’s faithfulness in the midst of great trial? Then let me tell you how God used people in my life to demonstrate his faithfulness. I’ll begin with a man whose name I don’t even know. Immediately following my accident, I went into a state of shock and subsequently don’t remember very much. However, from what I’ve been told, an emergency room doctor was taking the same route to work that morning and witnessed my accident. He quickly got out of his car and rushed to my aid, staying with me until the rescue crews arrived. Another example of God’s faithfulness was shown through my principal at Danville High School and the superintendent of Danville Independent Schools. Upon hearing about my accident, they rushed to the hospital and provided companionship and encouragement to my older brother as I was in surgery. In addition, the two of them picked my parents up from the airport and stayed at the hospital until late that night.

Since that day in January, I’ve received an abundance of encouragement, well-wishes, and prayers from relatives, friends, co-workers, and students. Not a day goes by that I don’t receive a card in the mail, an email, or a message on Facebook that is intended to lift me up. I am loved and supported by the community around me, and that alone has meant the world to me. While I continue on my road to recovery, I know that I am being endlessly cheered on by a great cloud of witnesses, and I am thankful.

So whether your next trial is years down the road or you’re facing it right now, know that God’s faithfulness is from generation to generation. He is on your side; he will never leave you or forsake you. Through great turmoil and tears, I have learned this, and I wanted to share it with you today.

Lyrics:
It came upon a midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold

Peace on earth, good will to men
From heaven's all gracious King
The earth in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels, to hear them sing

O ye beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps so slow

Look now for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
Oh, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels, and hear them sing

Singing peace on earth, good will to men
From heaven's all gracious King
The earth in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels, the angels sing, sing, sing

Still through the broken skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
Over all the weary world

Above its sad and lonely plains
They bend on hovering wing
And ever over Babel sounds
The blessed angels, the angels sing, sing, sing

And I can hear the angels sing
And I can hear the angels
And I still hear the angels sing
And I still hear the angels

Glory hallelujah!

Lyrics:

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome holy child, welcome holy child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited holy stranger
Make yourself at home, please make yourself at home

Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking heaven's silence
Welcome to our world, welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born, unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God, perfect Son of God

Welcome to our world

Lyrics:

In the bleak midwinter
Frosty winds made moan
Earth stood hard as iron
Water like a stone
The snow had fallen
Snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter
Long ago

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim
In the air
But his mother Mary
In her maiden bliss
Worshiped the beloved
With a kiss

Heaven cannot hold him
Nor can earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall fall away
When he comes to reign

What then can I give him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb
If I were a wise man
I would do my part
What then can I give him?
I will give my heart

"Somewhere in that pad of stuffing is a toy who taught me that life's only worth living if you're being loved by a kid." - Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story 2

To quote Dan Rydell from Sports Night, "I've got the intellectual property cops crawling up my butt."

Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. - Genesis 15:3-6

This summer, I'm starting a new series of posts on this blog called MythBustin'. Named after one of my favorite television shows (MythBusters), this series will examine what I consider to be some of the most persistent myths of our lifetime.

On the television show, myths are tested and then given one of the following labels: (a) CONFIRMED, (b) PLAUSIBLE, or (c) BUSTED. In the same way, I will examine these urban legends and, after much thoughtful consideration, I will label them appropriately.

Now, for our very first myth. Myth #1: Soccer is cool.

(2) The lack of drama: In America, we like situational sports drama. For example...

• bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, and the team's best hitter squares off against the pitcher in a last ditch effort to win the game
• 3.6 seconds left in an NCAA basketball game, and one team, down by three points, throws the ball in to their best outside shooter to send them into overtime
• down by four points with only 18 seconds to go, one football team sends their wide receivers streaking down the field as the quarterback throws a Hail Mary

In soccer, the only drama occurs when someone gets close enough to the goal to take a shot. But even then, their chances of making that shot are slim to none (remember the first piece of evidence?). Also, in soccer there are no timeouts, no stopping of the game clock, and no instant replay.

So, it's kind of like watching grass grow except... less exciting. Plus, the Simpsons seem to agree with me too!

Well, a lot has been going on in my life lately, so I figured I'd fill you all in via my blog! Now sit back, relax, and enjoy catching up on my life.


Facebook: The Search for Love
To begin, the short film that I starred in last semester, Facebook: The Search for Love, was accepted into the the Highbridge Film Festival where it won three awards (Best Audio Editing, Best Original Musical Score, and Best Comedy).

If you piece all of the shooting days together, we shot this film in about four days. Not bad, huh?

I had so much fun working on this project. The crew was incredibly professional, the cast was incredibly talented, and the experience was both fun and challenging. I hadn't acted for the camera very much before this project, so all of this was very new to me. Through it all, I learned a lot and had an awesome time!

If you haven't seen it already, you can watch the film in its entirety below! Enjoy!

In addition, if you want to see how Facebook: The Search for Love was created, then look no further! Below is a Behind-the-Scenes montage that'll give you a glimpse into the movie making process. Enjoy!



Summer Living
Recently, my plans for the summer drastically changed when I was offered the position of interim Music Minister at Mt. Freedom Baptist Church in Wilmore, Kentucky. I accepted the position (pending a congregational vote), and I plan to live in Nicholasville with my friend Reuben for the duration of the summer. I also plan to work part-time at Lowe's in Nicholasville and take two online courses, Theology and Leadership Development.

Earlier this week, I moved into Reuben's house and unpacked all of my stuff. Below are some before and after pictures. Enjoy.



My New Album
This summer, I'll be recording a new full-length album and giving it away for FREE! If you aren't familiar with my music, you can check it out on the right sidebar of this blog under FREE MUSIC. Also, you can visit my Facebook Fan Page or my NoiseTrade Profile.

But back to this new album... I need your help!

The songs on this new album will be cover songs... i.e. they'll be songs written by someone else. What I need from you is some song ideas!

What songs would you like to hear me record? Here are some ideas people have come up with so far:

(1) Viva la Vida by Coldplay
(2) Thriller by Michael Jackson
(3) Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
(4) Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
(5) Still Fighting It by Ben Folds

Post your song ideas in the Discussion Tab on my Facebook Fan Page. I look forward to your input!


I'm Outnumbered: One Mom's Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys
Yep... my mom's an author. My mother, Laura Lee Groves, has written her first book about raising four rambunctious, red-headed boys that I'm sure will provide knowledge and insight for numerous mothers around the country. Nay... the world.

Check out her blog entitled Outnumbered Mom, and if you'd like more information about her book (to be released on August 31st, 2010), visit this Kregel Publications link.


Andrew Peterson's Upcoming Album
July 27th. That's the date I have marked on my calendar with two big letters: AP. Why? Because Andrew Peterson's newest album, Counting Stars, gets released then! If you didn't already know, I'm sort of an Andrew Peterson wannabe... er... groupie... uh... fan. Yeah, something like that.

Anyway, he recently released a new radio single from the album entitled "The Reckoning (How Long)." I've posted it below so you can listen to it, but you really should buy it for yourself! It's only 99¢ at iTunes and Amazon.com.

For more information about Andrew Peterson and his upcoming album, visit his website or The Rabbit Room.

And now... enjoy the song!

This past semester, I had the privilege of starring in a short film that will hopefully be entered into the Highbridge Film Festival. Check out this teaser trailer for the short film "Facebook: The Search for Love."

Currently, I'm a part of Asbury University's latest sitcom entitled Friends Like You, Too. Performances are March 30th and 31st. Check out this awesome feature about the sitcom from WLEX-18!

If you haven't already heard of the band OK Go, you're missing out. Their newest single, "This Too Shall Pass," has become an Internet sensation after the release of these two music videos.

Sit back, relax, be amazed, and enjoy.

Follow the Men of Johnson Third East through the decades as they declare their unfailing love for the ladies of Kresge Second East.

Believe it or not, this post was originally going to be about the late night power struggle between Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and the ever-bungling National Broadcasting Company (NBC). But as I began to write, I realized that while this late night brouhaha is entertaining, in the grand scheme of things, it means very little.

This past Tuesday, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti, decimating the capital of Port-au-Prince and killing upwards of 40,000 people. The dire situation in Haiti can be summed up in these words from Haiti's president: "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. The hospitals have collapsed."

The more and more I read the newspaper, browse Internet articles, and watch the news, my heart cries out for the people of Haiti. There is so much fear and death. There is so much heartache and need. All of this in a place that is only 700 miles from my front porch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and yet it feels so far away.

The nation of Haiti is very close to my heart. Three years ago, I traveled to Haiti on a mission trip, and I can honestly say that I am a different person because of that trip. Haiti is one of the poorest nations on the face of the earth. According to most sources, around 80% of Haiti's population lives in poverty, with the majority of Haitians living off of roughly $2 per day. And Haiti is one of the most spiritually dark nations on the face of the earth. Vodou and witchcraft are regularly practiced alongside other religions, pointing to a deep spiritual need existing there.

So why am I writing this? To make you feel bad? No. To guilt you into doing something? Certainly not. I am writing this to the body of Christ to encourage action. This action is not motivated by guilt; rather, it is motivated by the following command.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." -James 1:27

In addition to this, the scriptures say these things.

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." -James 2:14-17

"Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." -James 1:22

So what is my point? Undoubtedly, very few of us can pack up and head to Haiti to help with the earthquake aid. Besides, that is not what I am suggesting anyway. What I am suggesting is that we, as a community of believers, as the body of Christ, lift up the nation of Haiti in prayer. There is power in prayer, and we are commanded to pray. I am also suggesting that, if you are financially able, you find an organization like Compassion International or World Vision that you can contribute money to in an effort to help with the earthquake aid. Every little bit counts.

Lastly, I want to stress that this post is not intended to guilt you into giving away money. In fact, if giving away money is your way of making yourself feel better, don't do it. For, as the scriptures say, "Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -II Corinthians 9:7

Happy New Year, everybody!

As a gift to you all, I have released a brand new Christmas song entitled "O Come, Divine Messiah." Composed by Josh Dahm, from the band Too Many Drummers, this song echoes the cry of God's people as they long for the divine Messiah sent to redeem the world.

You can download it for FREE below. You'll also find some album art there too. To preview the song, just click on it. To download, click the arrow tab to the right of each item and choose the DOWNLOAD option.

Enjoy the music, and have a Happy New Year!

The Muppets are back... again! Four months after posting their first round of videos on YouTube, the Muppets have returned to the interwebs with four new videos. The one receiving the most buzz on the web is a cover of Queen's hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody." You can watch the videos below.

Believe me, you won't be disappointed!

Three close friends of mine at Asbury (Christian Loftus, Lauren Wallace, and Faith Shaw) are in a band called Eugene & Doris. Just yesterday, they released their first full-length album entitled Instead of Goodbye... and it's awesome.

And you can get it for free.

Check them out on Facebook, MySpace, and NoiseTrade. If you want to download their album now, see the widget below. Wow... this post has way too many techie terms! Oh well... if you want some good music, look no further than Eugene & Doris.

Jars of Clay. A band that's been together for over ten years now and a band that continually churns out solid music. With their newest record, The Long Fall Back to Earth, Jars exceeds expectations with rich lyrics and exceptional musicianship. I've been a Jars fan for a long time, and I can say this without hesitation: This is one of their best albums yet.

This album is so good that I struggled to pick out one song to post on my blog. The song I did choose, Boys (Lesson One), struck a particularly close chord with me, as it illustrates a father's relationship with his growing boys. Being one of four brothers, I felt compelled to choose this song.

However, the scope of this song should not be limited only to the relationship between an earthly father and his sons. Rather, we can see many parallels between our earthly fathers and our heavenly Father. So enjoy this Song of the Week, and check out Jars of Clay's new album, The Long Fall Back to Earth.

You won't be disappointed!

Boys (Lesson One) by Jars of Clay
Lesson one: Do not hide
Lesson two: There are right ways to fight
And if you have questions, we can talk through the night

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far

It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time

Lesson three: You're not alone
Not since I saw you start breathing on your own
You can leave, you can run
This will still be your home

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far

It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time

In time, to wonder where the days have gone
In time, to be old enough to wish that you were young
When good things are unraveling
Bad things come undone
You weather love and lose your innocence

There will be liars
And thieves who take from you
Not to undermine the consequence
But you are not what you do
And when you need it most
I have a hundred reasons why I love you

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far

It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time

If you weather love and lose your innocence
Just remember... lesson one

Readers thrilled to the phantasmagorical adventures in On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book 1 of the Wingfeather Saga. Now in Book 2, Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby, mom Nia, ex-pirate grandfather Podo, Peet the Sock Man, and trusty dog Nugget flee north to rebel headquarters.

Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic, talking sea dragons.

Andrew Peterson's lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book 1 "one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time," and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring "themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility."


If you'd like to purchase North! Or Be Eaten, visit the following link!