Cobwebs….I hate walking in to those….

Man…It has been a long time since I have been here. I am so disappointed…..

I know I said I was going to start blowing up the blogger world with all my insane and ridiculous blogs….but I don’t think the world was ready for that….more importantly, I wasn’t ready for that. I can barely talk to people about what’s making me angry, happy, sad, joyful, distraught, or even challenged. I am on the track to be ready for it. Yea…I can do it.

Alright…what has remained:

I am still with the most awesomest girl in universe, and will be for a long time to come.

I am still in the rockin’ band My Instant Lunch, and we are releasing our EP, Tales of Woah, tomorrow night to the world!

I am still playing the guitar and mashing weird effects pedal while doing it at Steven’s Creek Church.

I am still a shift supervisor for Starbucks.

Finally….I am still in Augusta, GA…for now.

Let’s see…what’s new:

My hair is longer, but my euro-mullet is gone…..cry.

I am currently not in school.

I am trying to go back to school to get in to the graphic arts.

I have more effects pedals to make more noise with.

I have a more passionate heart for God….Along with that, I have way more frustrations with things that have been happening around where there has been less vision and less passion for a change in the world.

Finally….I am allowing God in. And I am allowing him to take over what he chose me to do in this world. Also, with the help of my good friend D’art, it allowed me to realize that I can be a part of something big and I can (with ALL of God’s help) change the world.

People, I am not talking about just saying I am going to be a part of something big or something big as in moving to downtown Augusta and starting a church…I am talking about a leap of faith, easily on the verge of failure, no holds, dangerous, vision-searching, love-seeking BIG thing.

I am talking about the most unchurched, the most faith-doubting, the most love hungry place in all of North America. I am talking about the Boston, Massachusetts. Now, I know exactly what you are thinking…”how can a punk kid from Augusta, GA bring change to a powerful city like Boston.”

And my answer is….GOD!

GOD!

and more…GOD!

Doubt me now?

JLuc.

coldplay hangover….

Well, it has been just over a week since I went and took part in one the best birthday presents I have ever gotten. I went to see coldplay and It well….obviously it was unreal, because I was so hungover by it I couldn’t even write about it until a week later…..

It was full of raw energy

it was full of awesome coldplay tunes new and old

it was overflowing with personal musical inspiration

it was covered in butterfly shaped confetti (seriously, it was incredible)

The lights, the music, the epic songs, the jam tunes….everything about this concert hit on all cylinders. It truly was one of the best concerts I have ever been to.  I have seen quite a few concerts too….

Anyway, I will now shut my mouth and let a few pictures do the rest, enjoy!

 

JLuc.

too good to be true….

It’s rare these days to come across something so ridiculous, so mind boggling, and down right deranged that it actually makes you laugh…purely from the absurdness of the object/person/item/etc. that you have discovered. 

Well, a few weeks ago my aunt began telling me about this ridiculous object that I will shortly reveal. She told me about the website and everything. Upon hearing about it I was a mere disbelief…but after actually laying my eyes on this, I knew I had to do one thing…..share it to the blogger world. So, without further delay….here it is!!!!!!!

                                

Oh yea….it definitely is what you think it is! 

A 7 ft. remote control Jesus doll. For all of you avid life size remote controllers out there….you can now move the “Gliding Saviour” around yourself!!!!  

You can read about it yourself here——> http://estore.websitepros.com/1921529/Detail.bok?no=2

 

Enjoy!

JLuc.

with….everything…

I want my life’s prayer to be the lyrics of this song……

Open our eyes 
To see the things that make Your heart cry 
To be the church that You would desire 
Your light to be seen

Break down our pride 
And all the walls we’ve built up inside 
Our earthly crowns and all our desires 

We lay at Your feet

Let hope rise 
And darkness tremble 
In Your holy light 
That every eye will see 
Jesus our God 
Great and mighty to be praised

God of all days 
Glorious in all of Your ways 
Oh the majesty the wonder and grace 

In the light of Your Name

With everything 
With everything 
We will shout for Your glory 
With everything 
With everything 
We will shout forth Your praise

Our hearts they cry 
Be glorified 
Be lifted high above all names 
For You our King 
With everything 
We will shout forth Your praise

 

with everything….with EVERYTHING

JLuc.

Hillsong….

Well, I took a trip. It was the only real vacation I have gotten to go on all year. Me and eight other crazy people piled in to a jam packed van and headed to Houston, Texas to take part in an amazing Hillsong Conference. Well, I must say, It was everything I hoped it would be, and more! It was overflowing with amazing, powerful…..no, it was REAL worship! Just genuine, passionate people there to love God, love people, and also set out to take over the world with God’s love.  

Anyone that has ever been to a conference knows that they go there expecting to get this life change. I am completely guilty of it as well. We expect this power from heaven to change us from just from hearing a few songs sang and some random guys filling the auditorium with scripture. (I even got asked by people if my life was changed or if I felt changed…what is that about?)

This time around I told myself that I wasn’t going expect life change, I was just going to open my ears to what God wanted me to hear, and if what I heard changed me, so be it, if not…I love him anyway.

Well, I went through the conference, I had an amazing time…I worshipped God until I could speak. It was real and gut-wrenching. We were on the way home and I was sitting there just thinking about what they spoke about, loving people that need love, stop yourself from judging people just by first glance, help people, change the world….YOUR world with Christ’s love. I was truly floored that they said that we are ALL different in every way…the only thing every human has in common is the desire to be loved. 

I got back in to civilization of my own life and I started to realize how much all of those words just played through my mind constantly, and I could not escape it. I was judging people as soon as I saw them. I couldn’t stop it. I felt so convicted and worthless as christian. This isn’t what God wants from me….

He wants me to love people, show compassion, fulfill a person’s desire of being loved. God wants that from everyone. If we did that….changing the world would be easy. 

Something so simple and clean cut that was talked about all throughout this conference…hit me so incredibly hard that I still haven’t come close to recovering. I think about it every where I go, in everything I do. 

I cannot escape it. I do not want to escape.

I have never been truly changed from a conference, maybe for a few weeks I’ll be changed from the hype, but that goes away, This conference shook me up and this will stay with me forever.

I will speak this for as long as I can breathe. 

Love people like God loves you….you will change the world!

Jluc.

Are You Ready?

I hanging out at my house yesterday, trying to complete the awful and tedious task of trying to find a sweet new wallpaper for my laptop. I couldn’t get satisfied with anything I was coming up with.  I didn’t even like a sweet vintage fender strat on my screen. So I started thinking…..how can I make this silly unimportant thing a deeper deal than it should be? Well, I came up with it.  I want it to be something that has been put on my heart….something that will remind me everyday that I will be a part of it shaking it up.  Something that will get me fired up every time I open my laptop. Something that when I see it I will always say…..big things are going to happen. I searched and searched and searched and I found it……..

The city of Boston skyline

Now….are you ready Boston?

Are you ready World?

Big things are going to happen there….

That city is going to be turned upside down….

Are you ready?????

 

JLuc.

New Music MONDAY!!!!!

I know that my blogs in the past have read “New Music Tuesday”, in order to attempt to almost mimic those iTunes emails that everyone receives about their latest album releases, free downloads, etc. (Those emails always sucker me in to buying way too much music). I was going to wait until Tuesday to write this email, but the excitement that I have for writing this blog on this particular band and album is incomprehensible!

Coldplay….what an amazing band? They dropped their latest album, Viva La Vida, June 17th to a large (and I mean large) number of fans probably almost expecting an electronic, guitar driven sound, with a huge Fix You type ballad somewhere in between. Well, I am here to say they didn’t deliver that….and I am overwhelmingly pleased to say that! This new album is full of piano driven instrumental sections, inventive and creative guitar riffs, and powerful lyrics that reach great lengths.  At first listen, I was slightly disappointed in the amount instrumental portions of the album, but after listening to the album over and over I realized that these instrumental tracks and sections do not need lyrics….the music speaks for itself.  The album truly hits on all cylinders and because of the total reinvention has caused me to become an even bigger fan of them.  Great move Chris, Guy, Will, and Jonny for changing the game and pulling me in even more in to your musical mystery world!

 

 

JLuc.

I don’t even know what to title this….

I really don’t even know where to begin.  These words will be uttered many times in the next few times and for many many…..many years……This past Thursday was just a horrible day, where we had such a tragic loss…..Cindy Lytle was lost in a car accident Thursday morning.  It’s hard to even categorize and come up with words to show how saddened I am for the loss and for the pain I feel for the Lytle family.  Cindy was such a great person…..full of life, always quick on her feet with witty jokes, never stopped making me laugh, the exact person that you would want to pass by and say hey to when walking in to a church….or anywhere for that matter.  She had a passion for worship that just spoke volumes to me….she was sold out for christ.  I hate that it took this tragic event to realize what an enormous impact she made on my life.  It was such a huge honor and pleasure to share the stage with her, and that keyboard just wont be the same.  Heaven defintely got 189% more awesome…..and it just makes me more anxious and excited to get there! Cindy….I know you definitely are not looking down on us, because let’s be honest….why would you when you are way too busy rockin’ out with the big man! But I do want to say that you made a huge impact on my life and my walk with christ.  Your heart for God and passion for worship and people has been and will continue to be an enormous inspiration me.  I love you, and will always remember you….so I can be prepared to jam with you in heaven!JLuc. 

Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7…..MAX!

I have begun to realize some of my best thinking, laughing, blogging, at times weeping has been past the hours of 11 p.m.   No matter how little sleep I get….I will still stay up to listen to music, watch Conan, or blog….sometimes all three at the same time!!!!!I have discovered more new music, made up more new guitar chord progressions, and amazed myself on how peculiar I really am in the late hours of the night than any other part of the day. Late nights are good for the soul, not necessarity of the immune system but who needs that? I get a lot of guiance from God in these illuminous times…..He is always there, but God knows me best…..he knows these are the hours that I am made for so he punches me in the face in these times. Yea, thats right….God, gives me a left and right hand hook to the face.(he is God he doesn’t favor one hand so he just hits you with both….)What I am trying to say is, I used to get mad at myself for staying up so late and never getting sleep.  Just recently I have learned that this is me, I am owning up to the fact that I will never catch up on sleep.I don’t really know where to go from here, I love late nights! So much dicovery, conviction, and entertainment goes on during these hours.  My sleep suffers for it, but I would trade for the world…….most nights…JLuc. 

one thing to say….

I really only have one thing to say right now, and that is…….

When it comes to music, sleep is overrated…..

I love my guitar!

AND

my guitar loves me!

JLuc.

new music….

I am a musician….yea I know.  In being a musician, everyone assumes that I listen to all kinds of music.  Well, I am here to say that, they are completely right. Think about it….I post blogs on the music I have been listening to lately.  Well, I keep my iPod consistently filling with new music. Some I like and can’t get enough of, others are short memories in my mind.  A few months ago I made an extremely late iTunes purchases of Hillsong United’s latest album, All of the Above.  Well, i couldn’t playing this album, everytime I got in my car, everytime I went to my room.  I would come up with excuses to listen to this album over anything else.  Turn the clock 3 weeks…..I made another iTunes purchase, I bought Radiohead’s new album, In Rainbows, as well as Hillsong’s 2006 album, United We Stand (I had this album but it was a copy and it got ruined).  I have listened to In Rainbows often and really like it, but I honestly believe I have listened to both Hillsong albums every single day since the purchases.  All I can say is, music moves people.  I get moved by music, all kinds of music and describe how I feel when music hits me.  But there is very few words I can describe to explain the true emotion and intimacy that is put in to these songs.  United We Stand is a live album that shows the true worship that just oozes out of all of these members of that band.  They are real! I have seen them live and they have such a presence and anointing of God.  This is the best example of what using your gift and calling that God gave you to your best ability is.  Truly two very amazing albums, with catchy guitar lick, sweet drum fills, incredible bass lines, and most importantly true and raw lyrics that at one moment kick you in the mouth and at the other moment makes you want to shout to rooftops, or make you want to blow out the windows of your car…wherever you are at.  I strongly encourage anyone reading to buy these albums, they have honestly changed my life, and helped me see the vision God has for me, and helped me understand His purpose for us in this world……Become United! JLuc.

my latest obsession…

I have been through a lot in the past days and months.  One thing that I have discovered is my appetite.  Now, I know what you probably doing at this moment….you are probably throwing together this short list of foods or snacks to guess what food or snack I am talking about.  Well, I will definitely inform you that this has nothing to with food.  my latest obsession is…God and my hunger for more.  Never in my life have I been dried up and just thirsted for more of him.  Through this time I have felt convicted, emotionally exhausted, liberated, and even physically drained.  I don’t know how to explain my “epiphany” moment, but just one day I realized why I was feeling this way.

I want more of YOU God.

I even want all that I can handle….

I have been trying to grow closer to him, take on anything that he has planned for me in the short future and as well as the long term.  I don’t really have much more to say on this, the only thing I want to do is live it all out for him.  Sell out…for him.  Rock out with him. BE with him…..

JLuc

a second home…

Most people in life have a house. Some even have multiple houses. How many have a home? A place where they are ultimately more comfortable than any other place in the world. A place where they can do things that they would never do in public. Where they can rock some sweet gym shorts with holes all in them and super-high tube socks with slippers. What’s even better than having that one place where you can do all that is a 2nd home. For me I could categorize many of my close friends homes as a second home, but the place where spend the most time, sometimes even more than my 1st home is my church. Stevens Creek Church. Over the last few years, I have been heavily involved in the music there along with working with youth, and even being the worship leader there. I speak great things on this place because it is a comfortable place that God has put in my life to keep me grounded and sane. It is also a place God has provided for me in order to grow, learn, absorb, and has even been there for me to have opportunities to lead his people. Its been a crazy ride. I started out being a backup acoustic guitar player for the youth band back in high school to…well, basically being the “go to” guy to lead worship when our worship pastor in out or is speaking. Then when I am not doing that I play the wicked sounds on electric regularly. Just last week I got the opportunity to lead, and it was a humbling, powerful, insane, life-changing experience. I have lead before for main services, but this one was different. This one, I realized I was made to worship. I know that sounds really elementary, and that I should be embarrassed that I just realized that, but I finally chewed on that for a while and it threw me for a loop.

The fact that God created me….

He made me in his image….

He made me for a purpose on this earth…

He made ME to Worship HIM….

Through all of my problems, through all of my transgressions, through all of my dirt, through all of my success, through all of my callings, through all of my worth…..

My ultimate purpose….what i was MADE to do is to give all the glory to Him.

He GAVE me the natural ability to lift my hands, shout, sing, run, dance, bow down, and live my life for him.

That knowledge alone makes me want to

worship Him.

love him.

walk with him.

sell out to him.

God gave me this church, this second home for opportunity…..to use my natural abilities to worship Him!!!

Is he cool or what?!?!

JLuc.

where did oh seven go?

well….what a year it has been! A lot has happened in the world and in my world.  Many failures have taken place and some successes.  Overall, i can’t really be disappoint in this year. God has put me through many tests and challenges to help me grow as a person, a man, a Christian, and even a musician.  I think God also put me through the things i went through in order to help me know what it feels like to go through these things to be prepared in life.  God definitely put me through 2007 to prepare me for 2008.  I would like to sit here and type that 2008 will be this awesome, uplifting year but I am not anywhere close to feeling confident that that will be the case.  All i can do is stay steadfast and strong with God, be friends with Him, LOVE him.  I am no longer going to make a ridiculous new years resolution that I will constantly break and disappoint myself….the only thing i want to do is promise myself and God that I will just Love God, Serve Him, and build a great relationship with him.  I want to start by telling everyone, I Love God….and he is the coolest!

JLuc.

breaking the hiatus…

Well, its been a while. I haven’t made an appearance in the blogger world in a few weeks, because….well life has taken over. I just finished up school for the semester, I had a lot of work time at the Starbucks to fill, and computer/iPod problems have haunted me. Well, I am hear to say….it is all good! I got everything with my car fixed, finished papers and finals, and work isn’t overwhelming any longer. It has been a really good last few days, my fire for guitar playing, singing, and especially songwriting has been refueled in a big way. All I needed was some musical inspiration and some amazing himself from the big man. I feel like things in the coming months are going to rockin’ and I can’t wait to be a part of whatever awesome things God has in store. Things were just kind of floating aimlessly for me in the last month, but in the last day or two I have had a couple “cup half-full” moments with life, love, music, and most importantly God. Things are good, and God is awesome….

JLuc.

More Turkey for me….

Well, Thanksgiving is quickly coming to and end, all the food that was prepared today is either being packed away in to the fridge to eaten for the next 3 weeks, or being wasted and thrown away….sad.  As I look back on this day, stomach filled to the max, tired as can be because I was deprived of my after-lunch nap, and thinking about going back in to the kitchen to get a third helping of banana pudding, I think about how this day is overwhelmingly over commercialized.  This holiday is a huge deal, it is the only holiday where out of no where three days are taken off for school so we can eat and travel and sleep…a lot.  Sure there are reasons behind why we take so many days off and why it is so commercialized, but when it comes down to it….that is what this holiday has become.  It no longer feels like a day where we can just sit around look at the people we are eating with and smile because we are thankful that that person is in our life.  Most are scoping or mapping out how they will take on the most chaotic day in the history of the United States, the day after Thanksgiving, better known as….Black Friday!!! 

I went to dictionary.com and put in the word Thanksgiving, the first definition that i read was; the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, esp. to God.  I feel like that is so far from being done on this day.  We need to get back to the basics.  This is one day, ONE day to show our appreciation to God and others for what they do and how much they mean to us.  Instead we turn it in to a commercialized day to preceed the biggest shopping day of the year.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love turkey just as much as the next person, i just feel we need to get back to the point to where we thank God for this land that we stole from the Native Americans, and the food that we know and love, and also thank HIM for the loving people in our lives that are always there for us and mean the world to us.  That’s what Thanksgiving should be about…and the people that care to make it about what it originally was about make the effort with your family.  It will make it a stronger, more meaningful day for everyone.  I hope everyone is safe on their shopping excursions and please don’t be mean to the starbucks baristas they will make your drink the best they can as fast as they can.  Have a great Black Friday everyone!

How do you categorize being excited and miserable at the same time?

Its Monday, Veterans Day, and it is also time for a new cell phone for me.  Well, I have had a cell phone for a while now, but I have always been that guy or person that has the lame cell phone.  My phones are always beat up, ragged looking phones.  Well, this was finally my chance to have the cool phone.  Although, I must add that nothing is cooler than the iPhone, so I going based on what is almost as cool as the iPhone.  Anyway, I went this past afternoon and got a cell phone, and, well, I felt like I was a salespersons dream because I was going for everything they were dishing out.  After about 30 minutes I realized that my monthly bill was going to be almost 100 bones.  Then, I scaled it down to about half that.  Well I got my phone, I am pumped because it is easy to work with, it has a full keyboard, I can text message now, its the jam!  Well, at the same time I have realized all the money I will be spending from hear on in.  So which feeling am I supposed to take hold of?  Well, my answer for myself is this….I am going to be excited, but not overly-excited.  If I do that I will stay grounded on what I have to pay for and get done.  So…the life lesson today is, Stay grounded, dont’t fall for everything, because if you do…well, the ground will hurt.

This is a picture of my new phone….I also have a new number, so, if you need it let me know….

(This was a small blogample of how random i am)

JLuc.

The Fall Classic

In my opinion, one of the toughest sports to play is baseball.  The main reasoning is you have to play 162 games, and most of the time you play hurt.  There is more criticism on baseball players than any other kind of athlete.  With that said, it is that time of year again, the time of year that all of the baseball players play all of those games for.  The World Series!!!  Well, even though my Braves didn’t make it (wait till next year) the Sox made…oh yeah!  Now, I understand that the Rockies are on a roll and that have won a crazy amount of games in the last month, but in that time they never faced what is called Red Sox Nation.  A powerful empire that rolls over any enemy that they face, and they are going to Conquer the World Series this year.  Yep, I said it, the Sox will win this series and have a second ring in four years.  This will be a good October, and then next year The Braves will win it and Francoeur will be the MVP…..right

JLuc.

iMac Attack

I am at this moment, writing this blog on one of 2 iMac’s my church has. This one is in the youth room where all the video, music, and technology. I just had to write everyone in the blog world from here because it is just a different world from here. I wish I owned the amazing piece of machinery. Anyway, got to get a move on to the house, have to serve people their Starbucks in the morning…..LATTE!!!!

JLuc.

new music tuesday…Menos el Oso

I always get emails from iTunes titled, new music tuesday, so I figured I would start doing that…except i will probably do new music Monday-Sunday.  Anywho, I’d like to take this post to talk about one of my new favorite bands, Minus The Bear….weird name huh?  I first heard a friend talking about them and I was puzzled by the name, I had no idea what it meant, and I still don’t.  The coincidentally I saw them on tv and I liked what I heard. So, I downloaded their cd and was immediately hooked.  I am a sucker for crazy effects on the guitars and they have that,  I am also a sucker for sweet timed stops and on point meter, and they have it all.  Lead singer, Jake Snider, has rocking solid vocals and melodic tones.  All together, this band has got it going on and you, yea YOU need to check them out.  Latest album, Planet Of Ice, is out now!!

JLuc.