This has been a summer of momentum, in a few different areas.  Here’s what we’ve been up to these past couple months:

 

2nd Trimester

We were relieved to pass up the point in our pregnancy where we had a miscarriage the first time.  We’re moving along nicely… which is really exciting.  Jess’ little tummy is slowly growing, which makes me really happy to see, imagining our little guy/girl forming in there!  We’ll be finding out our baby’s gender in just a couple weeks now.  I’m so glad that Jess is pregnant and I’m savoring every moment of this experience.  While still trying to keep from getting carried away (I learned to hold back a little after the first experience), I’m thrilled to get to be a father in a few months.

 

Music Momentum

Something really clicked for me just recently.  I spent hours of free time on a Friday recording some ideas I had and I think the music bug bit me… bad.  I don’t want to pull myself away from writing, collaboration, talking about it, thinking about it, practicing music or recording.  I get such a high on experiencing something I realize is much bigger than me, though still something that  flows through me when I get to focus on music.  It’s surreal and addictive.  Where do expressive melodies and lyrics come from?  Why can I hear new riffs in my head that seem to just materialize out of nothing?  I can’t get over how good it feels to work hard creating something that sounds pretty good to me.

I passed an Ananias album song, one which Jess and I spent a lot of time recording previously, on to my friend Cory.  He added that same sort of genius/bigger than ourselves creativity into the song, making it sound full and amazing.  Tapping into that element collaboratively is even more addictive;  the reason I always like doing Crude Canvas songs with my brother, and reason I’m so excited to keep collaborating with Cory, as well as a few other friends too, hopefully.

Another friend I met in Arizona years ago, Dennis, took one of my rock tunes and dressed it up with some awesome guitars, bass and drums.  It sounds amazing too!  I can’t wait to share that once I finish my parts.  It’s impressive how talented other people are…  amazing that I get to connect and enjoy talents that I could never cultivate myself.

I’ve been feeling that I should focus on the basic outline of a song and my vocals (what I believe my strengths are), letting other talents take over and be creative to fill the rest of the sonic wall of our songs.  I’m giddy about the possibilities, and can’t wait to see where it all goes.

Right now Jess and I talking about getting a band together to practice and hopefully not just finish the album, but also start playing around these towns (Newnan, Carrollton… then outwards from there).  We have a solid outline and scratch tracks for all of our album songs at this point, plus about half of the total final tracks laid down.

 

Momentum Church

We’ve also had the opportunity this summer to connect to a smaller church plant, still finding traction in the Carrollton Community.  They meet in a gym wing, masterfully revamped into a fun worship environment (stage, huge black curtains, lights, a good sound system, etc.).  After our fist visit, I really hit it off with the staff, Greg and Whit.  They are great guys with awesome families and a unique heart and gift for reaching a demographic I’m also drawn to ministering to.

I’ve always been drawn to launches and smaller churches (i.e. GBC when it had 3 families, TMCC back when it was meeting in a middle school, Stonepoint Church helped draw us to GA, Newnan Church launch about a year ago, and now Momentum).  There’s something about the combination of potential and unconventional ministry models that I find really refreshing, as compared to the churches that have hundreds in attendance and yet feel somehow lonely and stagnant in comparison.  There’s life and excitement when each person makes a difference and carries a weight of value just by being present.  It’s nice to feel that way, going from the 500-people extreme, to the 25-people extreme… even if the 500 model has an amazing “welcome team” and everything else.  You just can’t replace a pastor and his wife wanting to have lunch with a mob of disconnected smiles.

After one visit, Whit asked us to come lead worship, which we did a few times since, making friends with Lee and Emily and a few others in the process. 🙂

 

Looking ahead, we’re quickly headed towards changes and opportunities, which I’ll be excited to share next post!

Thanks for checking up on us,
Adam