So excited to announce that All Things New is now available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and wherever else digital music is sold and streamed! Go check it out and have a listen! Click the album cover below to head to iTunes!

Summer has landed in So Cal even if its not official yet. The weather has been beautiful and sunny every day and we have been outside working, eating and playing as much as possible. I am absorbing as much vitamin D as I can and it feels awesome to be out of the house! Even the mood in the neighborhood seems to have lifted a bit and people at the grocery store aren't quite so grumpy. It's amazing what a little sunshine can do. It's bringing everything and everyone back to life even in the midst of the Covid-19 darkness.

I was watching an interview with Maya Angelou recently and she talked about the importance of being a rainbow in someone else's cloud by loving people well. I think we can all be a little bit of sunshine or even a rainbow in someone's life in the midst of this crazy, dark time by trying to love people better. We can practice breathing life into other people. Maybe we can offer some extra grace, some extra kind words, some extra hugs around the neck, a special note, a bag of groceries, a roll of toilet paper (HA!)...just some reminders that the people around you matter. When the sun is shining outside people are inspired to be more active and get out more. When the Son is shining in our lives we should be inspired to love each other more. Out of His love we love and can bring hope to others who are struggling.  Faith, hope and love always work together don't they? But the greatest of these is love...

Sending out love to all of you today! God bless you!

Jeff

How's the long pause still going for everyone? It's still so surreal to continue to be trapped in our houses especially in So Cal where the last several days the temperature has climbed to the upper 80's. Before this week the weather around here has been unusually cloudy and overcast as an almost perfect partnering to the Covid-19 gloom. It's been weird and a real bummer. Kind of like everything else going on. Anyway, the clouds have finally parted and the sun is shining hot killing off virus strands and bringing life to everyone. 

I started thinking that's the way this whole debacle can actually change things in our culture for good. Maybe as the clouds part and this lockdown ends we can all come out of our houses and shine love on people so brightly it kills off the depression, anxiety, sadness, anger, etc. this whole thing has caused. We can hold our neighbors up as everyone begins to get back to rebuilding their lives. We can give more time and support to those around us that need it. 

I have been so inspired by my friends at church communities all over the world who are pouring out love on people so intensely its changing people's hearts forever. My own family has been blessed by an outpouring of kindness and support from several of the people at the church communities I am blessed to play. It's amazing. Being treated with love and mercy changes people..it just does. I am so thankful for a Savior who is the ultimate example of grace and mercy.  I am comforted every day because He sees everything and knows everything and is in control of it all. Out of his love we love. Let's continue to be His hands and feet in the lives of others. Hope to see some of you in person real soon! Until then let's keep praying and having hope that better days are on the horizon!

As we were winding up the day last night and searching for something to watch we decided to put on the Passion of the Christ. The lense we view life through gets so much clearer when we sit in the intense reality of what Jesus did for us. We know this as believers but to witness it on screen makes it resonate in a whole different way. I have only seen Passion a couple of times because it is immensely painful to watch but it really encouraged my heart today! As I prepare for Easter services this weekend I am immeasurably grateful for our Savior and that I get to know Him and commune with Him every day. 

I was hanging out with my family yesterday and we came across John Krasinki's "Some Good News' Youtube show. Complete with a back drop drawn and colored by his daughters, he announced several pieces of good news. He feels like being positive and sharing good news is so rare these days that he actually started a new show! Who'd have ever imagined that sharing good news could be so counter culture? Well I have THE BEST news ever! Jesus came to earth and put on human flesh, lived a perfect life, died and rose again to create a bridge back to God for eternity for a sinful and fallen humanity. As we prepare for Easter no matter how it looks this year---let's remember to be eternally grateful/worshipful for the sacrifice of Jesus. No matter what happens on earth our souls belong to and can rest in God.