Tomorrow I head for the UK for my third summer. Each trip has been so cool and unique in it’s own way. This time I will be performing a few more times than last, but I’m more excited than ever just to SEE all my friends over there! Actually calling them “friends” sounds so cool. God has been teaching me lately about the high value of relationships…walking in that and seeing the blessing in it has been a great journey. Here’s a big question though: WHY has there always been terrorist stuff every time I go???!!! What’s with that?!

The Guinness Book of World Records is coming out to see my friend Jon Pritikin set the world record for bricks broken with his head! Pray for all of us…

My writing journeys have intersected a few times with The Message Bible translation, and it’s been a fun combination! I have three other tunes like this one, written using almost 100% Bible scripture from The Message. I had the chance to meet Eugene Peterson recently and personally thank him. He’s an amazing man! I want to grow old like THAT GUY! I love the freedom of the language used. Eugene said he wrote The Message for regular, average people, right off the street…I relate to that. So, here’s the first one - a hillbilly romp nicked from Psalm 57….

I am SO STOKED to be hosting Tony Orlando’s priceless, vintage Rhodes in my studio!

Thanks, TONY!!!

The new generation is TAKING OVER! I’m so proud of my son, Brennan, for rocking the drums while his sister Farrah and friend Sophia pulled off a mean version of “Lean On Me”. The Killibrook Elementary School Talent Show didn’t know what hit ‘em!

The idea I’m singing about is that God can meet us ANYWHERE and take to a place in our hearts closer to Him. We don’t need the perfect sunny day, the best waves, and everything perfect to find REAL paradise. The best “soul vacation” around is right in front of us; the God of the Universe who wants to spend time with US, to hear our prayers and thoughts, to guide, love, and direct us, and maybe accompany us on a nice long walk…that’s what it’s all about!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D6c40WzpSI]So, John and I are at the top of Nevada Falls a few weeks ago, and I just had to hold my camera over the cliff. This fall was RAGING at full flood…the thunder of it was booming…it was a jaw-dropping site. This is just one of the thousands of ways God likes to show off! He’s speaking to me a lot these days about His kind of “beauty”. I’m starting to share more about this in concert, so I’ll keep the thoughts rolling here…  This is the “intro video”——-

Here’s a CRAZY STORY!!!

Last night, I had a dream where Pete Shambrook and I were leading worship together at some event, and I was hanging out backstage, right after sound check, and vamping on this chorus I was writing to lead out of “Lord, I Give You My Heart”. Anyway, I woke up and had the song still in my head! I got up (4 a.m.) and scribbled it down…chords and everything….from the DREAM!

Here’s how it came out in real life…

Something UPBEAT, finally! …sorry for the dreary streak…

OK, so I KNOW your dying to know more about that GRANOLA in the last post….so, here’s the recipe!!!

This comes from my mother’s super-secret recipe stash (through way of Aaron Fox). All five of us boys grew up on this stuff, and here it is published for the first time ever:

Fox’s Granola

…this is the Dry Mix

6 cups Oats
1 cup Powdered Milk
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup Slivered almonds
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup bran
1 cup coconut
(now mix this all together in large turkey cooker like thing)

Blend in a blender:
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water
(now mix EVERYTHING together)

Put in oven at 325 degrees / stir every 15 min. for 1 hour
Add dried fruit to taste

YUMMY!!!!

So I’m renting a car last weekend for a short tour through Central Cal, and I got the Toyota Prius… I didn’t know anything about it, but quickly became a SUPERFAN! Yah, I’m totally nerding out on this thing!!! In fact, I had to show you how it turns on:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGC5wxJiad4]
I loved getting awesome gas milage, driving in the CARPOOL LANE all the time, and feeling all “green” and everything. The NorCal spirit so overtook me that, before long, I was even eating home-made Granola in the car…