jakemiller

christmas @ browns bridge

on sunday, december 20th, we celebrated christmas at our three campuses - north point, buckhead, and browns bridge. such a great sunday, for so many reasons. 

to give you a small glimpse of what went down, our opener consisted of one song (12 days of christmas), synced simultaneously between all three campuses. when it was live @ north point - buckhead & browns bridge saw it on the screen. when they cut to browns bridge - north point and buckhead saw it on the screen, and so on. 

it was amazing. i've never seen anything like it. 

it's pretty hard to put into words just how incredible it was, so i'm not going to try. instead, why don't you just go here and see it for yourself. i promise, you won't be disappointed.

i'm so proud of and impressed by our service programming staff & volunteers! the amount of creativity and talent on that team is unbelievable.

the fray

taking a break from my normal sunday evening responsibilities to hang out with these guys tonight in virginia beach. 

jack's mannequin is opening. 

we've got 4th row tickets. 

yeah... 4th row. 

it should be a killer show. 

easter sunday thoughts

over 300 people became Christ-followers at waters edge church today. 

i should just stop right there. i mean, there is an awful lot i could tell you about easter @ waters edge... but nothing else i say in this post is more important than that first sentence. seriously. more than 300 people walked into the ferguson center this morning... broken, hurting, lost... and walked out changed by Jesus. forever. are you kidding me?!?!

today was incredible. i'm not even sure where to begin. our staff and a team of close to 300 volunteers were up well before sunrise, setting up the ferguson center in preparation for the thousands who would eventually join us for one of our two egg drops, and one of our two easter services.  

here's the rundown from the day...

• we don't have an official count yet, but the early estimates are that somewhere between 2,600-2,800 people attended one of our two services... which were phenomenal, by the way.
• phil and the band did an amazing job leading us in worship. 
• we opened the services with "magnificent" from u2's latest cd "no line on the horizon". i love that song... and the band blew the roof off with it. 
• stu hit an absolute homerun with his talk today. it was great... and he destroyed a couple of cars on the stage in the process. yeah... you had to be there.
• we dropped thousands of easter eggs out of a helicopter all over the front lawn of the ferguson center... twice. 
• how many eggs did we drop? 30,000. it. was. crazy.
• as with our service numbers, we don't have an official count yet, but the early estimates are that 4,000 people attended one of our two egg drops. that's just ridiculous... and it was a TON of fun!
• our volunteers are the most committed, most talented, most amazing group of volunteers on the planet.  
• did i mention that over 300 people became Christ-followers today?

today was one of the most incredible easter experiences i've ever had. what God did @ waters edge today... i can't even begin to explain it.

happy easter, everybody!!

coldplay!

 

look what came in the mail this week... coldplay tickets! 

we're still months away (it's not until august...) but i couldn't be more excited. coldplay is... without a doubt... my absolute favorite band. i've not had the chance to see them live, so needless to say... i can't wait! 

if you could see any band, past or present, in concert... who would you see?

no line on the horizon

 

if you're a u2 fan... today is a big day.

no line on the horizon is the 12th studio album from u2... and the first in almost five years. i've been listening to it as i've been working this morning, and i'm loving it so far. it feels like a little bit of a throwback to the earlier years of u2. good stuff. 

you can download it... today only... for $3.99 on amazon.com. yes, i said $3.99! you're crazy if you don't take them up on that deal. after today, you can download it on itunes for the full price. go check it out!

early observations...

so my family has been in virginia a little over a month. not long enough to totally soak in the culture, but long enough to make a few observations. so far, we really like it here. but i'll be honest, there are a few things here that i don't really understand. i'm counting on my new virginia peeps to help me out here. for example...

• i've been borderline made fun of for my love of sweet tea. not only that, i've been looked at rather strangely when i've ordered it in a few (not all) restaurants. i don't get it. it's not like i moved to new york or something. i mean, virginia is in the south... yes?
• virginia is a commonwealth. it's not a state. i have no idea what in the world a commonwealth is. nobody that i've asked has been able to tell me either, so apparently i'm not the only clueless one. 
• there are an awful lot of personalized license plates around here. i mean, like, an inordinate amount. seems like everybody has something to say, and they figured the best place to say it was on their car. my favorite i've seen so far was "i stank". seriously. you can't make this stuff up.
• the radio stations around here are... well let's just say they're odd. take for example 94.9 - tabbed "today's best music". today i heard, and this is no lie, coldplay's "viva la vida" (which qualifies) followed by prince's "raspberry beret". remember that song? i think i was like 6 when it was popular. it's pretty much like that all day.
• there are houses that still have christmas lights up. not only are they up, but they still turn them on at night. and not just houses, either... there are shopping centers and businesses that still have christmas lights/decor up. yes, it's february 8th...
• the weathermen/women are about as bad as they are back in greenville. there have been two occasions in the last two weeks where they have all but guaranteed accumulating snow. in one instance, 3-5 inches, the other instance, 1-2 inches. both times... nothing. not one freaking flake. just sunshine.
• the mailman in our neighborhood puts the flag up on our mailbox when he puts mail in it. wait... what? now, i'm no postmaster general or anything but isn't it supposed to be the other way around? and he does this to all the mailboxes, not just ours. when i'm coming home, all i see are rows of mailboxes with flags up. i don't get it. 

alright virginia folks... i'm counting on you. help me out, here. what's the deal? 

you found me

i'm really digging the brand new single from the fray, called "you found me". it's a beautiful song... one i think we can all relate to. check out what isaac slade (lead singer) had to say about the lyrics... 

"it's about the disappointment, the heartache, the letdown that comes with life. there's some difficult circumstances that my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and it can be overwhelming. it wears on me. it demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they're just as black as night. this song is about that feeling, and the hope that i still have, buried deep within my chest."

in other words, sometimes it seems like god just isn't listening to us. his timing just doesn't always seem to line up with ours, does it? i think it's fairly safe to say we've all been there at some point. i certainly have. 

there's probably somebody reading this who is there right now. be encouraged. god is there. he is who he says he is. he is listening. he does love you. he has a perfect plan for you... even if you don't see it yet.

if you haven't had a chance to listen to the song yet, click on the video below. you can also head over to itunes and download the single. well worth your 99 cents.

you oughta know...

 

david walker.

meet my friend david walker. the dude is an incredibly gifted worship leader, and as authentic a guy as you'll ever meet. 

his new cd, closer than angels, came out a couple of weeks ago. i love it. and no, i'm not saying that just because we're friends. it's got a really cool, fresh sound. you should check it out.

i also thought it was pretty cool that mark lee of third day twittered this about david the other day. not a bad endorsement...

so... here's what you need to do... head over to davidwalkeronline.com , download a couple of free tracks and then order the cd. or, you can head straight over to itunes and download it immediately. go get it.

previous you oughta know posts:

josh bayne

until june

a fine frenzy

needtobreathe

paramore

matt costa, northern room, we the kings, jon foreman

augustana, death cab for cutie, the cab, eddie kirkland

the story behind the music

i'm a big fan of jack's mannequin. i love their music. but more than i love the music, i love the stories behind the music. to understand the depth of the lyrics, you have to understand the story of the voice of jack's mannequin, andrew mcmahon. 

in the summer of 2005, just three months before the release of jack's mannequin's debut album "everything in transit", andrew was diagnosed with leukemia. over the course of a year and a half, andrew underwent treatment for the disease. his body responded well and in 2006 he was declared cancer free. since then, in addition to writing a second album (the glass passenger) he's poured his time into founding a pediatric cancer research charity, the dear jack foundation.

cancer is a disease that seems to effect everyone in some way at some time. it played an enormous role in my life when i lost my mom. it's reared its ugly head more than once in my family since then. i have friends who have fought, and continue to fight it. in this day and age of technology, there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be able to research and develop a cure for this disease.

i'm so thankful for stories of survivors like andrew. even more thankful when those survivors take action to ensure that others will share that same victory. it's nearly impossible to miss the change in perspective in andrew's songwriting since his battle with cancer. he know's he's been given a second chance, and he's using it to do so much good.

if you'd like to get involved in the fight, check out the dear jack foundation, the v foundation, or the american cancer society.

you can quote me...

"i'm not really qualified to comment on the interventions that have been put forth. i can only assume these people know what they're doing. but it's extraordinary to me that the united states can find $700 billion to save wall street, yet the entire g8 can't find $25 billion to save the 25,000 children who are dying everyday from preventable, treatable disease and hunger. bankruptcy is a serious business... but this is moral bankruptcy."
- bono (u2)

you can read these and other thoughts from bono on disease, hunger and poverty in this cnn interview. whether you like the guy or not, you can't deny that he's leveraging his influence for the greater good. it's refreshing.

my life. in words.

 

thanks anne, josh & joe for the creative inspiration.

what do your words say about you? find out here.

john mayer // paramore

 

kristi and i descended on charlotte, nc last night to catch john mayer and paramore in concert. it was a little bit of an extended anniversary celebration for us, and we had an amazing time. i'm serious... if you're a fan of great music and you haven't seen john mayer live, you owe it to yourself to see him. 

this was the third time i've seen him live, but it's been about 4 years since i last saw him. a lot has changed. he is absolutely sick with a guitar. i mean he sings great and all, but i seriously don't know the last time i was that entertained just simply watching someone play. for the best picture of what i'm talking about, check out his new live cd "where the light is".

paramore was the opener. they're a long time favorite of ours, too. definitely a little different than john mayer... kind of a punk/pop feel with a female lead singer... but wow... she can flat bring it. they put on a really high energy show that was worth the price of admission alone. 

mayer's set list looked like this:

bigger than my body (heavier things), belief (continuum)

i don't trust myself with loving you (continuum) 

crossroads (cover - eric clapton/cream)

wheel (heavier things), free falling (cover - tom petty & the heartbreakers)

good love is on the way (try - john mayer trio), mercy (cover - duffy)

vultures (continuum), find another you (continuum)

stitched up (cover - herbie hancock), no such thing (room for squares)

why georgia (room for squares), waiting on the world to change (continuum)

gravity (continuum)

encore:

who did you think i was (try - john mayer trio), boy in the bubble (cover - paul simon)

say ("the bucket list" soundtrack)

all in all, it was a great night. i love kristi and i'm so thankful we share so many of the same interests. we have so much fun together. of course... staying out until the middle of the night is definitely not something we're used to doing anymore, but we had a great time. and besides... i think it's healthy to act like you're still 21 every now and then...

phil wickham. free.

phil wickham's new cd "singalong". 

absolutely free. 

go get it.

now.

weekend update

here's what's been going on in my world over the past 7 days...

• we had a great week @ the beach! it went by way too quickly.
• litchfield has become our favorite place to go to the beach. 
• logan is officially a beach lover. it took him a day or so to warm up to the ocean, but we convinced him that nemo was in there waiting for him to come play and he was good to go. 
• i eat entirely too much when we're on vacation. about 10% of it is healthy.
• steered clear of a few jellyfish in the water... while holding logan. that was interesting.
• i managed to avoid getting sunburned @ the beach, i think for the first time ever. 
• did manage to get sunburned while cutting my grass yesterday. go figure. 
• have you ever taken a bath in cold water w/ vinegar? yeah, me neither... until last night. it was a "home remedy" for sunburn... and it stinkin' worked! sunburn = gone. i was shocked. and yes, i was burned that bad. 
• have you gotten john mayer's new live cd? you should. it's fantastic.
• i'm now the proud owner of an iphone. seriously, how did i manage before i had this thing? 
• i think i still smell like vinegar...
• as i type this, there is a preseason nfl game on. that can only mean one thing... it's almost fantasy football time!
• speaking of the nfl... i'm sorry, but i'm so over brett favre. enough is enough, dude. 

alright, that's all for now...

consider the cost

the next time you buy a pair of shoes... or anything else for that matter... consider the real cost. some things just might cost more than you realize...

(video embedded. rss readers may need to visit my blog to view the video)

artist :: radiohead
song :: all i need

h/t :: nikao