Props...is back!

"PROPS" is really one of my favorite blog themes to work on. It gives me a chance to brag on people I care about and, hopefully, introduce them to some of you out there who just tend to land here occasionally.

Today's PROPS go to Chris Caraway.

I first met Chris while playing a one-night gig at First Methodist Lufkin. The worship deal was for the youth, but the FUMC praise band wandered in like a bunch of worship junkies.

If I remember correctly, Chris was standing at the back of the group and said,

"You play any Rich Mullins?"

And that's when I knew we were gonna' be friends. So here's why Chris is gets PROPS:

1. He's the most generous, helpful, modest sound engineer I've ever met. There for awhile, I thought all sound guys were required to be jerks...but Chris cured me of that. I also think it helps if your sound guy is a former member of the armed forces.

ME: "Hey, Chris...think you can find a way to mount this video camera in the soundroom and run a direct audio line into from the secondary video sound board?"

CHRIS: "I'll figure something out."

And he does.

2. He's a servant. So far, I've asked Chris to play guitar and bass, sing, run sound, burn CDs and manage a whole host of things that are not glamorous at all. And he has done them all with a great attitude.

3. The CD. Not many folks know this, but Chris Caraway is the reason "All The Freed" came to be. He raised money, encouraged people to support it, listened to all my ideas, helped me make important decisions regarding the record and was my cheerleader throughout the whole process. Sure, he got to eat Freebirds as part of the deal, but I think he mostly did it because he's my friend.

4. He's stepped up. When all the stuff at Bethel Bible started happening, Chris knew about it. He knew it would change everything at First Methodist. He knew it would add distance to our friendship and bring about some transition at our home church, but he supported me the whole time. And then, when I decided to take it, he stepped up to fill my worship leader shoes. Knowing that Chris is there leading that congregation in praise is a great comfort to me as I pursue this new adventure in Tyler that God's called me to.

5. He loves the church. Chris Caraway has been a member of First Methodist for a long-time. He's seen good times and...not-so-good times. But he's been faithful. He has served in countless ways with a fantastic attitude.

Props...

Time for another shoutout!

This edition is dedicated to my friend, Ross King. As many of you know, Ross produced All The Freed. Not only was the entire process a real education for me in the realm of professional music production...it was also a great opportunity to get to know a really great guy who doesn't get near enough credit for how good he is.

So, here are a few reasons why Ross gets mad props!
1. He's an encourager and a truth-speaker. That might seem like a contradiction, but it's not. Mr. King is a straight shooter, and while that might sting a little from time-to-time, he speaks in humility and love. He's probably one of the best, most sincere encouragers I've ever come across.

2. He's funny. Really funny. As in, "please write a book, Ross" kind of funny. He's got a never ending supply of one-liners that are almost always gold. (And even when they're not, they're still pretty good.)

3. He's unassuming. Most songwriters and singers are really pretty vocal about what they're doing. (Hey, I wrote two songs last night and they're really great or You know, I'm pretty confident with what I'm writing these days.) But not Ross. You ask him what he's working on and he'll shrug and say "Not much really." Then he'll pick up a guitar and play you a demo that is songwriting genius and after it's done, he'll shrug again and say something like, "I don't know. I might change it. It's not done yet."

4. He knows what's wrong with worship culture. Some don't agree with me on this, but I think there's a lot wrong about the worship music industry. I don't think it's pure evil, but I think we could be doing it a lot better and smarter. And Ross knows what we can do. He possesses a real gift in diagnosing problems within the "industry" and supplying great ways to fix those problems. I think he's got a true prophetic anointing in this regard.

5. He's a great producer. As much as it pains me to say it, almost every amazing thing on my record is Ross' idea. Seriously, when folks tell me they love "You Gave Sight" or the feel of "The Cross Of Christ" or that amazing intro on "All The Freed," I know in my heart that Ross was the genius behind those ideas. (Okay...Johnny and Brady provided the genius behind the "All The Freed" intro.) I know that all that credit goes to Ross. I go ahead and take the credit myself and completely omit any reference to Ross, though, because that's what he would want. You know, since he's an encourager and all.

6. He's a fantastic husband and father. A lot of guys say that about their friends, but Ross is the real deal. So the next time he blogs that he'd rather spend time at home with his family than play gigs or make records, you should believe him.
_________
So here's to you, Ross! You've been propped! Thanks for your friendship and support. I'm honored to call you my friend and I pray in complete agreement with every blessing that God has in store for you and yours!

For more info on Ross or to buy his music, check out:
www.rosskingworldtour.blogspot.com

www.rosskingmusic.com

PROPS...

This "prop" goes out to Justin Romack. Justin is more than my go-to drummer. He's my tech support, my worship-discussion buddy, my link to all things cool and young, and my good friend.
______________________________________

1. Justin owns on the drums. He's fantastic. I'm no rock star, but I've played with lots of drummers in my life. Some of them have been great and some of them have not. Justin brings more than just excellence to the drums...he also brings the rare gift of being able to predict where a song is going. Playing "worship" drums is way different than just rocking with a band...it typically requires you to play more simply and to work without concrete arrangements for songs. Justin knows this and thrives in it.

2. Justin has a great sense of humor. Back when he was younger, he would use his wit to insult people. (What teenager didn't?) Now, he uses his wit to make really smart jokes...usually in some fake (but believable) voice.

3. Justin is a good husband. I don't think I've ever come across two people so destined to be together as Justin and Angela. Their story is like one of those romantic-comedies that looks totally predictable and then ends up surprising your socks off. Since Justin and Angela were married, I've seen him become a great husband.

4. Justin is an overcomer. I am amazed at Justin's attitude. When Justin shows up to play drums (his passion,) I never know what I'm goingto get. I never know if Justin's vision is going to be really good or if he's going to be playing in absolute darkness. And you know what? It never seems to matter. He gets behind that kit I swear to you, it's always spot-on. Always. The guy doesn't blow it. He nails his parts whether he can see his kit or not. I don't know how he does it...but I respect the heck out of him for his ability to deliver every single time.

5. Justin loves God. Sometimes I look at my life and realize that my faith isn't changing me. I see that following Jesus has somehow turned into just-being-moral instead of consistently shaping me to be more like the Lord. But not Justin - I see his faith changing him, molding him and growing him every day. And I respect him so much for that.
______________________________________


So, here's to you, Romack! I'm glad to call you my friend!

As an added feature of the "props," I'm asking folks who know Justin to chime in down in the comment box. If you know him and want to honor him with your own "props," feel free to do so.

(And please don't use this to make lame jokes about Justin. It will just make you look really desperate for laughs.)

PROPS...

Today's "props" goes to a good friend who never lets me down. He consistently bring joy and contentment to my life and I don't know what I'd do without him.

We all have folks like this - those friends we can count on no matter what. They're with us in our dark times and in our celebration. They are there for us in the wee hours of the morning or late at night, when the rest of the world has gone to bed.

This "prop" is for my good friend....Diet Dr. Pepper.

__________________________

1. He is faithful. I'll be honest. I'm not always the best friend. I can often be seen hanging with Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi or even others like that strange Coke Zero or that wild man, Diet Pepsi Max. But he's always there...waiting for me to return home, to kill the fatted calf, to put a ring on my finger.

2. He really is the MOST like his sugar-filled predecessor. Since going off hard soda a few years ago, real Dr. Pepper has lost it's appeal. It kinda' makes me sick...but when I drink Diet D.P., I'm reminded of all the goodness those 23 flavors bring into my life. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi are good, but they are their own thing...Diet Dr. Pepper is authentic, he's real and he is worthy of as much love as I can give him.

3. He's rare. From my experience, every restaurant in America has either Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. Very few have Diet Dr. Pepper. He's selective that way. And, oh, the joy that fills my heart to open a menu or talk to a waitress and find that he's made the trek with me - he's back in the kitchen ready for me whenever I call for him.
__________________________

Mmmm...maybe all my "props" should be food related? Yeah...I'm looking at you, Big Texas SINnamon Rolls.

Another New Feature? What's This?

A while back, Clay started a new feature on his blog called "props."

It's a great idea...a nice little encouragement for his friends and family. So, in that same spirit, I figured I'd give some props myself. (Although, I have a cool logo for mine.) I think Clay does his every Tuesay. Not sure if mine will post on a consistent day...might be a bit more random over here!
_____________________________________
My first edition of "props" goes to this gal.

It may be a tad predictable to make my wife the first one celebrated on this thing, but hey, I can't always be full of surprises, can I?

Here are a few reasons why I think she's so great.

1. Smart. Seriously, amazingly, almost frighteningly, smart. Usually finds an answer to problems before most folks know there's something wrong.

2. A great mom. I love to watch her raise our kids. She's raising them to be intelligent, respectful little beings. (A hard job, to be sure!)

3. The Voice. Come on...she's still got one of the coolest voices around. I am still listening to All The Freed just to hear how amazing she sounds.

4. Hot.

5. Funny in all kinds of ways. She has a very sharp wit, but also a silly side that only I get to see.

6. She knows me completely...and loves me anyway.

7. She's the one I was meant to be with. I have no doubt of that. I believe she's the absolute perfect one God had in mind for me.

8. When I'm out of line, she calls me on it.

9. When I'm rattling off about a dozen different dreams or ideas, she listens and supports me, even though she knows I probably won't do any of them. (Us dreamers need that, because every once in awhile, we actually chase one!)

So, here's to you, baby. Premiere "props" to you.