It has been a good while since I have checked in and said hi to everyone. Hence, things might seem to be on the quiet side for me. Rather, I am in the midst of my busiest year to date.
As of today, I have done some 65 concerts this past year, and the fall leg of the Never-ending Tour will consist of 40 more. I will be criss-crossing the country doing concerts in 20 different states. I will no doubt be somewhere close to you. I would love to see as many of you as possible.
This year, it has been a great blessing to make many new friends along the way, while seeing a lot of familiar faces and rekindling old friendships. As always, your prayers mean the world to me. Energy is sometimes at a minimum when doing this, and I appreciate everyone's supplications so much. The community I am blessed to experience spans miles, states, highways, and years. Paul talks of steel sharpening steel, and I know I have been forever honed by my interactions with all of you - the body of Christ. Along my journey, I hope I have been able to contribute some to the kingdom of God as well.
This fall I will once again be touring with Brad Layher and Cobra Joe Curet. However, there are now four of us, as Sammy Horner will be joining us to play bass. Sammy is from Scotland and has been doing this for quite some time. He has been fronting a Celtic Christian rock band named the Electrics for years. I met him years ago when I was over in Scotland touring with Rich. The Electrics opened for a couple concerts and we all had a blast hanging out with Sammy. We have stayed in touch rather loosely through the years and we recently began to explore the possibility of him coming to the states and joining me for the fall tour. Lo and behold, it has now come to fruition. Officially, Brad, Joe, and Sammy are known as the Discount Spiritual Advisers. I am blessed to get to have such great guys, true friends, and wonderful musicians make up the band that travels with me.
Not only will Sammy be playing bass in DSA, but he will also be opening the concert by doing some of his own singer-songwriter songs.
In addition, Brad Layher will be doing some of his songs just as before. So, it will be quite a night of music.
At the conclusion of the tour, I will be heading into the studio to complete the recording of my upcoming record. I have never been this excited about a record. It will have some surprising new twists, and I believe it will be worth the long wait. The working title is Before the Sun Floats to the Top, a.k.a. Overcup Runneth
But my newest release will happen on November 12. That is the date Paula and I are to expect our first child. I am looking forward to this new aspect of my life with a "wide-eyed-ness" and an "I-have-no-idea-ness". It will be a wonderful blessing that many of you have experienced, and I am greatly anticipating it.
Therefore, my fall is very busy until the first part of November. I want to get everything done so I can be home for Paula and "peanut."
As always, my hope for all of you is that the peace of Jesus would reign in your life. As I said, your prayers are amazing. I need them for this tour, this record, these songs, these guys, my heart, my Paula, and my peanut. I can't wait to see you along the way.
There are so many do's and don'ts, rules and regulations, and attempts to attain and avoid that our souls can become quite weighed down and muddled. But I am sure of this - all we need do is respond to Jesus' activity in our lives. It's simple. Everything else will take care of itself.
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