Before I get all deep on you...

Soooo, everything I've posted on this blog has been so...serious. Those of you who know me know that I am crazy, hyperactive and sillllly. I only act normal to maintain the illusion of normalcy for the sake of others' comfort. Basically, I'm really weird. Ask my family. Seriously, really, really weird.

That being said, I'm embarking on the first track of my new R&B/Hip Hop side-project, called "Dishman." Yes, I'm serious (but at the same time, it's a complete joke). I've never done this genre, so I'm looking at it as a learning experience and lofty musical endeavor.

I just started programming the drums in Reason and I already am just giddy, thinking about how funny/awesome this is going to be when it's done. All kidding aside, you will get this song stuck in your head when you hear it. And before I get all deep on you, I won't.

It's been a little sad not having as much income as I used to because now that I have time to play guitar, I want pedals. I narrowed my list down to a few delightful treasures of ambiance:

• Diamond Tremelo - It's got a double-speed feature, lots of different settings for modes, and it's analog with tap-tempo. It's heaven-sent.
• Strymon Bluesky Reverberator - I can't even tell you how much I want this. It's shimmer feature is like the blaring of angels' trumpets in heaven.
• Electro-harmonix POG 2 - The organ feature, the 12-string feature and memory bank are awesome, while the higher, unstable frequencies of the upper octave are sooo wonderfully balanced. Mmmm.

Being a guitarist is an illness. An illness without a cure. I could probably fill an entire house with all the gear I'd like to have around. You think I'm kidding.

Justin

This is a man filled with passion...

Yesterday, I took my electric guitar to get serviced and fine-tuned. Since I've never had any of my instruments serviced here in Idaho, I used a guy named John Cleary at the suggestion of a friend. I took my guitar over to John's house to drop it off to find a living room filled with guitars, amps, records, cd's and tapes. It was obvious after speaking to John only a few moments, music is his life and guitars are his passion. He knew seemingly everything there is to know about everything guitar.

When I went back today, John presented my guitar and had me plug in to give it a spin. It played better than it did when I first bought it, and felt incredible. He keep telling me what a "beautiful gui-tar" I had, and coming from John, that meant a lot.

I don't know about you, but when I meet someone passionate about something, I'm drawn to them. I wanted to share John's passion, the way he talked about guitars. I wanted to know what he knew. I wanted his wisdom.

After I got home, I wondered what my life would be like if I was as passionate about Jesus as John is about guitars. I wondered if I could be so passionate about Jesus that people would recognize that passion within moments of meeting me. John has spent his life reading books, and learning the ins and outs of the guitar. God gave us The Bible so we would do the same thing.

James 1:5-7

^"5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

God wants us to be wise. God wants us to know Him. Knowing someone, or something requires a deep understanding of that person or thing, in entirety. In the relationship we have with God as Christians, we need to know everything about Him. Not only does this help us achieve intimacy with God, it gives others a reason to be interested in God. If someone knew you were a Christian and you never bothered to talk about God, do you think that person would care to ask you about Him?

Justin