Journal entry for: 7-10-2000

Hey Everybody,

      I just wanted to drop you a quick hello from the road. We're on our way to the Cornerstone festival right now. It'll be our first real show with Mark since the old honeymoon. Poor guy. After a week of traveling with her, he now has the rest of his life traveling with us again. It's heartbreaking. No really, they had a great time, but we're glad they're back.

      Mark and Dawn's wedding was wonderful. All of the guys in the band were in it, and though we got in a little trouble, it was a ton of fun. This was really the first bittersweet wedding I'd ever been to. I mean, it was the first one where I was so close to it I sort of felt like I was losing something at the same time as I was happy for them. Does that make any sense? I was the best man, so I had to give a toast, and that's basically what I said. That to be a real friend at this point meant I had to step back and realize that I will never be as important to my best friend as I once was, that we won't ever be palling around like we did in jr. high looking for girls, that time has passed. It's better now, of course, he's married and that is the most beautiful thing in the world, besides children, but it is still sort of sad, because it's just another reminder that time ain't slowing down for nobody. God, I hope when we get to heaven we find that there was a good reason for "being trapped in time" as Rich put it, because I am not at all a fan of time. But I guess you all can pray for me about that. Pray that my fear of time would turn into excitement to be made complete in my redemption by leaving this world for good. That's a hard perspective, but I know it's the one I really need. How else can we not be bitter about the way this place works?

      In other news, one of my roommates, Josh, and I were out on our porch with my new $7 lawn furniture (garage sale) the other night. He asked me this question: Why do you think you should love Jesus? It honestly took me about a half an hour to answer. We talked about how we're commanded to love, but that can't make you, and how we can love the things that He has done for us, but we're not still not in love with Him, and I finally came to the conclusion that maybe reading about Him in the scriptures and spending time in prayer would allow us to get to know Him and therefore be compelled to really love Him as He is. This, of course, was a kick in the butt for a guy like me, cause I don't read or pray near as much as I need to. I've started reading the book of Matthew, though, just to read the stories about Him and really look to find who He is. Here again please pray for me.

      Anyway, there's a couple of early morning deep thoughts for you. I want to say a quick thank you to everybody wo bought the new record these past two weeks. I hope that you've enjoyed listening to it as richly as we've enjoyed making it. And an extra thank you to those of you who have written us about the record. I can't thank you enough for giving us your comments and your heart. Well, I best be off, Cornerstone, like time, ain't waiting for nobody. See you out there...

Grace and Peace,
Andrew