Jeff Arrandale Blog – Encouraged

Today is the day that He has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it! I hope you are encouraged and as joyful as I am. I know what life is like and how it can get us down from time-to-time (i.e. what recently happened to the value of my 401k), but remember, our happiness, our joy should not come from things, or people, a time, a season, a place, a feeling, etc. Those things can all be good, but first our joy should come from the Lord and when it does we can be joyful in all situations whether good, bad, pained, shamed, happy, or sad. This joy comes from the peace we take in His refuge. It’s a peace beyond all understanding. It’s truly a blessing. I pray that whatever your situation is right now you have peace and joy that comes from the Lord.

Exciting stuff has been happening since I last spoke with you. First, I was able to take some time off from writing and performing outside the church to enjoy my daughter’s senior year of softball. In Iowa the girls play a summer season – May through July. I needed some time to recharge after a hectic winter, including the time in the studio, and sitting at ball games in the warm Iowa early summer was what the doctor ordered. God blessed us through her play and interaction with the coaches, players and other fans. As the only senior, she really stepped up as a leader for a young team. We were amazed at her maturity, her selflessness, and her encouraging attitude. One thing she really latched on to, and it’s a good reminder for all of us, is the fact that her school activity became her mission field. We couldn’t be prouder of her if she was 1st team all-state, or if the team won a state championship. Note: They finished 20-14, which was quite a turn-around from the prior year. God is so good (all the time!).

The recording project is progressing. There has been a lot of post-production activity like engineering, editing, and some additional recording of backing vocals. The final mix and mastering should be coming soon and I’m looking forward to the release in the coming months. Those of you who subscribe to the newsletter will be first to know of the planned date. I’ll soon be working on details for the release party/event. I couldn’t be more excited and expectant of what God’s going to do through it. Look soon for video from the recording to be posted on the site.

Though I continue to rehearse and perform with Certainty, I recently started rehearsing with a new combo called the Two Matt’s Band. Matt Wetzel is the bass player who has good jazz-type chops, and Matt May is a young, up-and-coming percussionist. Both are, first of all, humble Christ followers, second, good guys, and third solid performers. I like the way this group is able to perform the newly recorded material with a similar feel as what will be coming out on the record. At some point we hope to add a lead-player and/or keyboardist who can augment the foundation this little group lays down.

I have gotten back to performing with a busy August. On Saturday evening, August 6th, I performed with the Two Matts Band at Spirit Midwest (www.spiritmidwest.com), a local Christian music festival where over 50 bands and acts performed. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this being the first time out for the new group, but God is good (all the time!).

Leading up to the date, Matt Wetzel informed me he’d never been able to play scheduled outdoor gigs before because it always rained. Thankfully, not this time. The crowd enjoyed themselves during our time with them and they joined in as we worshipped the Lord. I’ll soon post pictures from the event and also the link to an interview I did with my friends from livefromthepath.org.

We next play on Saturday, August 27th in Granger, IA at an event called Praise Fest. All are looking forward to it (join us in praying that it doesn’t rain again!).

I performed with Certainty at the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 12th. Performing at the fair was something we’d been looking forward to for some time and was a ton of fun. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, the crowd was big, and they responded well to our brand of rockin’ worship.

Leading up to this event, Ben, Certainty’s lead player, was told of a fan from a rural area North of Des Moines who listed Certainty as one of her favorite bands. We’re not sure where she heard us. Ben heard from a friend that she’s learning to play guitar, but her family isn’t able to afford to purchase one for her. Ben was able to work a deal with a local guitar shop for a beginner. He also gave her an Our Praise CD and Certainty tee-shirt. She couldn’t believe it. We are told she’s already written a song with the guitar and she was at our performance at the fair.

Other than the worship, the highlight of the performance had to be when I did a quick promo of some of our merchandise, which featured a Certainty CD on a stick! Kent, our drummer, had attached a CD to a long stick and he waived it in the air as I talked about it. Hey, it was the fair. Everything seems to be on a stick there.

My next performance with Certainty is on Friday evening, September 2nd for Meals from the Heartland (www.mealsfromtheheartland.org) at HyVee Hall in downtown Des Moines. This is the second year we will have played at this event.

Dear God in heaven, creator of all things, redeemer, and friend, thank you for the many blessings You’ve given. Your goodness and kindness is immeasurable and your faithfulness is like a mountain. Thank You for the peace and joy that comes only from You. Thank You for this foundation on which I have built my life. Let the talents you’ve provided be an encouragement to others and may I point them not to me, but to You alone for You are worthy of all praise and everything good comes from You. In the name of Christ I pray, Amen.

Be joyful in the Lord!

Jeff

Jeff Arrandale Blog – The Studio Experience

Jeremiah 29:11 “… For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I share the above verse as an encouragement to you. God loves you, and he knows the plans He has for you. As was the case for the Jews in the Old Testament, He has plans to prosper you, and to not harm you, and plans to give you a hope and a future. As much as you may want to know what those plans are, you will not, nor can you, but you can grasp on to that promise even in the darkest most challenging times for He is with you. Be encouraged! He gives His children no more than they can bear, with an eye on developing you, growing you, and, most of all, drawing you closer to Him. We all go through tough times. I’ve sure been near the bottom before and wondered how it could ever get better, or be different. I praise Him for how He brought me through those times and prospered me, and not harmed me, given me hope and a future. He has made me better through it all.

In this edition I’ll focus mainly on the recent recording session, and I’ll also share my return engagement to the Ryman in Nashville. At the bottom, look for the planned name for the album. Also, there are some photos from the session HERE.

Here we go. I arrived in Nashville in the late afternoon on Friday, checked into the Brentwood Hotel where my buddy and I were staying, then headed out to get something to eat. It was raining in sheets that night with bow echoes on the radar all over the place. That didn’t keep us from checking out a late movie, which helped pass the time in anticipation of the next two days of activities. I was wiped out after the long day, so I slept well.

The next morning the drive to Tombstone Studios was pleasant. We arrived at the studio around 9:30 a.m. and immediately started meeting the musicians who would put their mark on the songs we were about to record. I was impressed with the down-to-earth, no-prima-donna attitudes. These were all great guys with families. Kent and I helped the drummer, Billy, get his gear inside (yep, Vince Gill’s – he had a lot of stories). The keyboardist, Dennis, had been in Nashville for over 20 years and is originally from the East coast of Wisconsin. Not only has he played on the Grand Ole Opry, just as important, he’s a baseball fan like me, so plenty to talk about as he was getting set up. The acoustic player, Pat, is one of the top players at his instrument in town. He’s also a baseball fan and looked more like an accountant or high school shop teacher. I was interested in his instruments and he shared with me some of his techniques and ways of doing things. Good guy to talk with. The lead-player, Dug (that’s right, no “o”) is originally from MO (yay!) and has been in Nashville since the mid-70’s. He was always careful to make sure he was giving me what I wanted.

Once everyone was set up and dialed in by the engineer, we met with Art, the producer, to discuss the plan for the first song. Art (an amazing bass player as well), had converted my chord charts to the Nashville number system. He passed those and lyrics out to the guys. We then listened to the one-guitar-and-vocal demos I’d made earlier in the year. Rather than share the earlier full recordings of the songs with the instrumentalists, the plan was to not “fill in the blanks for them” and to give them room to create as well, and boy did they. I was especially amazed at how quickly they learned the songs. It was “easy-peazy-lemon-squeazy” for these guys. They listened once, made some notes, talked about tempo and arrangement, and then headed for their instruments. They noodled a bit picking out a part, then Billy clicked off and they started “Purify Me.” I was in the studio as well providing a guide vocal and as soon as the intro started I got on my knees and thanked God! Look what He did! Look at what I was doing! It sounded soooo good. It was amazing.

We’d started the process for the first song around 10:15 a.m. and had the instrument corrections and overdubs done by 11:05 – 50 minutes – and they’d not heard the song until that morning. The next 7 and a half hours were spent this way recording the instruments for the other seven songs minus a 45 minute lunch break (great little Mexican restaurant right around the corner). One of the songs took only 35 minutes to perfect. The whole thing went by so fast and it was hard to believe it was over so quickly. I was grateful for what each had done and thanked them. They appeared excited about the project and their work on it, and asked how I was going to use it. They also had kind words about the songs and some of the runs. The producer was quick to point out that they aren’t paid for compliments, so it was a blessing to get their feedback.

After they all got their gear broken down and loaded up, I started making and drinking hot tea for the pipes like 90. We were going to track lead vocals for two of the songs before calling it a night. Again we started with “Purify Me.” Talk about nerve racking, but I was able to relax once I started singing. Art was very good at coaching me through the song: “That was good, now do it again”….”okay, another time” … “again”….”that was good, but let’s do it again” … “again”…”again”….”we’ll keep part of that, let’s do it again”…. “again”… “again” … “again” … Argh! I swear by the end of the night I felt like a lab monkey waiting for the treat when it does something right in a conditioned response experiment. We did all the verses together, then all the pre-choruses, then the choruses, then the ending, which was a little unusual for me, but made sense. It helped with consistency throughout the song in those sections and allowed for focus on each. We finished up at 10:30 or so. I was exhausted, but happy. We grabbed a quick supper, then headed for the hotel. It was very easy to crash that night. I slept like a log.

The next day we arrived at the studio around 10 a.m. I started brewing the hot tea and warming up my voice. The plan was to do the remaining six songs that day and it started out as a struggle. I know many friends were praying and that really helped pull me through the first couple of songs. Singing live in front of a crowd is much easier because of the energy and you don’t have to be as perfect. The studio can be sterile and microscopic. It took about six hours to do three songs with some long breaks in there to help preserve my voice. Man was I hungry. Kent and I went to a steakhouse across the road and I inhaled my meal. We got back about an hour later and something changed. After a brief prayer time, we really felt the Holy Spirit in there. The producer even asked after one song if something was different, was there something going on? The last three songs breezed by and I even inserted a little prayer at the end of one of the songs.

As we finished up we sat and talked about what comes next. There will be some additional backing vocals added, then final mixing and mastering. I’m hopeful it will be ready for release late this Summer or early Fall. It will be available in CD form as well as on my website and possibly other on-line music services. The rough mixes sounded great. I can’t wait for you to hear the final mixes!

Overall the time in the studio was very cool and productive. Prayers were answered and God was glorified. Again, I’m not sure what He has in store for the project, but this was like a dream come true. It was kind of like a fantasy baseball camp where you go and play baseball with Hall of Famers. Other than when I was getting my undergraduate degree in Art Education, it was the only time I’ve been called “the artist.”

The next day it was time to head back home, but Kent wanted to do some site seeing first. I suggested the Ryman, one of my favorite places in Nashville. We took the tour (love the history). Kent wanted to get his picture taken on stage so we did that. There’s an employee that stands there and takes your picture with a WSM microphone and a guitar. You can sing if you want. I’d done it a few years back so wasn’t planning on doing it again until the girl said no one had sung yet today. Hot dang, I jumped up there and did a verse and chorus of one of my tunes. I’m told the acoustics in that place rival Carnegie Hall and they are amazing. I can see why they didn’t need or allow electrified instruments for the Grand Ole Opry back in the day. When I finished I actually got a standing ovation. There were about 40 or so tourists and employees in the auditorium. They were already standing, but they were clapping and cheering, so technically, by definition, since they were standing and clapping, it was a standing ovation. Ha!

Now to reveal the planned title for the project.

We will run, with perseverance
We will run, the race laid out before us
We will run, with our eyes upon Jesus
Seeking Jesus’ face, we will finish the race.

That is the chorus from one of the songs recorded. From that someone picked up on the second and third words of the last line, “Jesus Face.” That’s what I’m going to call it, at least as of right now.

Thanks for checking in!

In His service.

JT

Jeff Arrandale Blog – The Letter

Okay, it’s been a while. Thanks for hanging in there with me. In this edition I will give an update on recent performances, talk about the upcoming recording project, and share with you the first letter I received from a fan. The latter is humbling and strange all at the same time. I’m saving it for last.

Okay, I wouldn’t have believed it, but it’s possible to have a blast performing at a senior center. I know, I know, but they are good people, too. I performed that night with Certainty as this gig was lined by one of the guys in the band to keep a promise. At first, I didn’t know what to expect. Here we were hauling all this gear into their hall aware that most would think we were too loud. We started with our usual repertoire and after the first couple of songs at a decibel level that was almost unbearably quiet for me, I stopped to thank the crowd for coming out and then checked to make sure the sound was okay since most hands in the place went right to hearing aids as soon as we started play (to turn them down I assume). I normally try to connect with a crowd by finding out some things about them when performing, so after a few more songs we stopped and I ask for a show of hands for anyone in the crowd who was retired. First every hand in the place went up and then everyone laughed. Of course everyone is retired! After that they really seemed to loosen up and enjoy the music more. What neat people, so kind and appreciative.

Last week I played at a new place with a couple of other local Christian bands. Not only was it a night for lifting God in downtown Des Moines, it also was an opportunity to network with other local musicians who have hearts for the lost and for worshipping and performing to glorify Him. I’ve played on bills with other bands before, but this was different in that there was more mutual encouragement in what each was doing. The venue is an old car dealership building right on one of the main downtown drags just east of the river. It’s situated in a part of town where a lot of the local music scene is located. It was special to get to play in that neighborhood – to bring a spirit of loud praise into what might be considered a decadent place (albeit relatively tame decadence). People in every walk of life, in every station of life need to know about Christ, to experience true worship, and to have some good clean fun. To get to pray for people as they drove by was a privilege.

The dates have been set for getting started on the upcoming recording project in Nashville. I’ll be heading down in mid-April. Originally I was looking at a 5-song EP, but now it looks like it will be an 8-song album. All of the songs will be originals. People have asked me if I’m nervous about it. Actually, as you’d expect, I’m excited, and have a peace about it. I don’t know what God will do with it, but I do know He is capable of doing more than I can ask or imagine. Even if nothing “big” comes of it (at least in the world’s eyes), I know the experience will be used by Him even if it’s to draw me closer or to be a witness to those I come in contact with there. It might even be something that is done just for His pleasure. My prayer is that I will be obedient and humble regardless.

Here is something that is quite humbling:

Dear Jeff,
I think you have the good voice to sing. My life is to be a singer because I like to make my own music now. Jeff I hope your heart is filled of music and let people hear you sing. Because Jeff you have an amazing voice to sing to others around you.
Your friend,
Libbie

Thanks Libbie. I don’t know about the amazing voice part, but you sure made my day. God, as with any praise or accolades I get from others while serving I humbly give this one to You. You are the one who deserves all the honor and glory both now and forever.

Until next time!

Jeff

Jeff Arrandale Blog – Review & Song

Happy New Year everyone!

Wonderful night back in mid-November doing our report on SE Asia at FCC. It was a night of music as played in-country along with heartfelt stories and testimonies of Certainty’s trek. I shared a little bit of my perspective on the trip and had debriefed with the others before the performance, but actually being there, hearing it again, talking about the photos in conjunction with what the Spirit was doing was pretty amazing. And it was cool to have one of the MIFs (members in the field, aka missionary) in the audience who will soon be taking his family to serve there.

Except for December Sundays and Christmas Eve, I decided to shut it down after a busy second half of the year from a performance standpoint. I needed a rest. It was a blessed time with family, friends, and reflecting on God’s gift to the world. I hope yours was even better!

I did get some time between the holidays to do the catalog recording I mentioned in my last blog. It was kinda fun to just set up a couple of mics and play and sing songs I’ve written over the last several years for no one but God and me, plus Steve (the engineer) pushing the record button. Not sure what will come out of this except a discussion about what songs would be good for an upcoming 5-song EP that I’m hopeful will be produced in 2011. Nothing happens unless God permits it, so my prayer is that I am in His perfect will.

Over the years I’ve had people come up to me and ask how I write a song. I’ve been doing it for a long time now, but since about 1998 it’s been all inspired by God’s Word and good teaching. Yesterday a very close and long-time friend sent an email about his mother who is battling Alzheimer’s from a nursing home in North Central Missouri.

My friend says that since his father died a few years ago he and his two brothers were able to keep her in the home she shared with her husband nearly all their married life. They were able to do this despite her deteriorating condition via part-time in-home day-care during the week and by the brothers taking turns staying with her on the weekends for many months.

When her husband died, she wanted to go with him, but he said, “not yet.” She claims she actually saw her husband shortly after his death and talked to him about many things. The conversation with him gave her peace and helped her through the difficult time. Eventually the brothers had to put her in a home where she has progressively gone downhill.

This week my friend shared that she recognizes few people and she’s not eating, only sleeping, which means it might be time for some pretty tough decisions. My friend and his family weighed heavy on my mind and heart, and I woke up the next morning with a new lyric about a simple, god-fearing, faith-filled, dignified life and the circumstances that may bring it to an end. Here’s what flowed out.

She’s Lived a Good Life – ©2011 Jeff Arrandale

She’s lived a good life, sometimes was kinda hard
With a good, good man, who caught her off her guard
She had her three sons, filled her house when they were young
She says she’s ready to go, ‘cause her time is almost done

She lived a simple life, first her faith, then family
Trusted Jesus since barely passed her father’s knee
She shared His love, accepted grace as it would come
It’s been a faith filled life, and it’s time is almost done

She used to laugh a lot, like a child in the rain
Until her husband died, God had taken, she didn’t blame
Just ached to be with him, but he said it wasn’t time
Now it’s so good again, ‘cause her time is almost done.

She’s lived a long life, some now say it’s been too long
So many people blessed, by her heart – most now gone
O she waits now, for the sweet time to come along
It’s been a good life, the long race is almost run

Today her boys are there, as good and faithful sons
Rememb’ring how she cared, how she watched them when they’d run
Each day is hard on them, they’re the ones now to decide
Wisdom, peace and strength, are what they need to do what’s right

He sat alone with her, not sure if she knew his name
He said, “I love you mom,” She said, “I love you, son, just the same.”
She said, “I’m ready just to go and be with Dad.
It’s been the best life a little girl could ever have.”

The melody came just as easy as the words, which isn’t always the case. The song actually wrote itself backwards from the way I normally write. I tend to fiddle with a chord progression then wait for the words. Well all that is trivial compared to what my friend and his family are going through. I pray daily for the wisdom, peace and strength mentioned above that they will need over the coming weeks and months. I lost my dear grandmother about ten years ago to the same disease and it was hard watching that saintly, similar woman pass. But we can take peace in that God has a plan and is in control and I know I’ll see her someday again.

Whew. Emotional.

For Christ.

Jeff

Jeff Arrandale Blog – Back from SE Asia

What a great trip to SE Asia! It doesn’t seem possible, but I’ve been back for a couple of weeks and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity I had to go. I had amazing prayer support – so much so that it was apparent in way to many situations to not be apparent for what it was. There was a special hedge of protection throughout the air travel and in-country travel, around health while gone, around our group’s unity and, most importantly, around our spiritual protection.

Even though the country is enslaved by Buddhism, animism, and communism, the people we encountered didn’t seem much different from you and me. In the area where we were, a small river city of 30 thousand or so and its nearby villages, people were industrious, hard-working, friendly, and curious about us. It seemed nearly every structure along the streets and roads we traveled had some sort of shop or business along with being the primary residence, either upstairs or in back. Most who were going somewhere traveled via little motorcycles. We saw uniformed elementary students, uniformed police, and uniformed government officials. While the food is different from here we didn’t go hungry. I had ice cream at least once per day and still lost 5 pounds. At the markets, we saw fresh beef, pork, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, and spices being sold along with more exotic (at least to me) “food” like crickets, eels, leaches, bats, and squid.

One thing I noticed is the number of people, especially students, who spoke or were learning to speak English. Many loved trying their new language out on the American, which made for great fun and much laughter. I was grateful they were understanding of my limited knowledge of their language. Before leaving the U.S. and while in-country I learned five basic phrases with two of them being “Thank you,” and “Thank you very much.” Ha!

As planned, I performed with Certainty in support of a company who promotes clean water and personal hygiene. We played at bustling markets in 5 different villages over five days while the company’s staff sold water filters. We were loud and sang Christian rock and worship songs, though we disguised most of the lyrics since we’d been advised to be wise in this country where people can’t freely worship the One True God and His Son Jesus. We kept ourselves humble by interacting with as many as we could while encouraging the staff in their efforts. We were told that 74 water filters were sold during our performances, and everyone, including the company’s leadership, seemed pleased. We were told that what we did was “ground-breaking,” at least in the part of the country we were in. What we did wasn’t unlike the worshippers going before the Israelites in Old Testament battles. The enemy knew we were there.

It was a blessing to learn that many on the staff already call Jesus “savior.” I pray that God would use these people to enlighten their fellow countrymen and that they be bold in their witness. I also pray they will be protected by the Holy Spirit as they proclaim His name (mostly in secret and small underground groups) in this country where Christians are persecuted on a daily basis. One village we played in had a believer who had just been released from prison after serving 9 months for sharing the gospel. Another believer in that village had been in prison for 6 months and no one knows when or if he will be released.

Another very important thing I did as we toured the city, villages, and temples was pray. My heart broke for the young monks we visited with at one temple. When asked what they did there and they said they went to school, which was in session at that time. They were asked what they studied and they said their religion mostly. When asked if they were taught other religions, they said, “no.” When asked if they had ever heard the name of Jesus, they said, “no.” God is capable of great things, even overcoming the deception they’ve been told for years.

Philippians 2:10-11

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Great Commission from Matthew and the verse above is the reason I went on this trip. God calls us to gather worshipers from every nation, or people group. The country we visited, though small, is the home of hundreds of different people groups and very few have ever heard the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:10 says in part “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” I believe this means everyone, whether their faith has been put in Christ or not, will one day bow before Jesus. I think it would be better if more bow out of love for the Savior rather than obligation and it’s my prayer that those bowing out of love will include a multitude from SE Asia.

Since I’ve been home I’ve had time process what I saw and learned and my heart goes out to the lost there. They need our prayers. They need us. They need you. They need Jesus.

Until next time,
Jeff

Jeff Arrandale Blog – Busy, busy, busy

“Busy, busy, busy ….” You remember the evil magician in Frosty the Snowman. That was his mantra in the first part of the show as he was running around with his head cut off. It’s been like that for me for the last month or so, thus the lateness of this post.

Lots of performances including another visit with the men of Live from the Path internet radio show and with some amazing college student worshipers from Zambia, Africa. When you throw in the preparations for the trip to SE Asia, you have “busy, busy, busy.”

I joined the guys from Live From The Path on Monday, October 04 for a full two hours and got to perform three songs: Race, Not Here for Me, and a request for I Can Feel You Watchin’. You can check out some of my performances on Live From The Path on my Video page HERE. You can get links to the podcasts I was a part of and find out more about Live From The Path at www.livefromthepath.org.

Malachi 1:11 – My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to the place where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord Almighty.

I saw that verse lived out on Sunday night, October 10, as I performed with Certainty in support of a group of students from Zambia, Africa. This group came to the States to meet supporters who helped fund and build their brand new college over the last 5-10 years. It’s the first group of students to go through the school whose mission is to raise up and train native pastors that will spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in that poor country.

After we opened and got the place jumpin’ a bit, the Zambians gave an excellent a cappella performance that was high in energy. The name of the Lord was lifted high that night, and it is apparent that His name will be great among the nations and He will be praised from where the sun rises to where it sets.

Preparations for the trip to southeast Asia have gone well. As a group we’ve rehearsed and met regularly to pray, to have some language instruction, and to be somewhat indoctrinated into the culture, government posture to what we are doing, and what we can expect day-to-day during the trip. We’ve also sampled food that will be similar to what we might be eating while we are gone. This worries me a bit as I’m used to a pretty bland diet of meat and potatoes, but I can surely tough it out for 10 days. As I write this I’m packing and going through final spiritual and physical preparations. If you think of it, prayer needs include:

• Unity amongst the group I’ll be performing with
• For God’s hand on the flights and connections to the country. In all, the flight time totals 22 hours over two days with three connections– both to and from (that’ll be a minor miracle in itself)
• For cohesiveness with the in-country business we’ll be performing in support of
• For food, lodging, health, rest, and personal needs (we’ll be in rural districts with little to no sanitation or clean water)
• For family that will be at home
• And most of all, that the name of Jesus will be worshiped in this place and that we will trust God fully. As was the case in the Old Testament, we will be going before God’s army in what really is a spiritual battle.

One thing I know for sure is that is God will go before us and will be our rear guard as well. Look for a post-trip report from the trip in my next blog.

Lastly, upon my return, the performance schedule will be minimal because I hope to spend a little time doing some guitar-only demos. This will help me catalog songs and start to put some thought around what I hope is a future recording project.

That’s all for now. Thanks for checking in!

Jeff

Jeff Arrandale Blog – Blessed and Amazed

Hello again and thanks for checking in on what’s going on. God continues to bless and amaze. Let me tell you about it.

This summer, a young couple in our church volunteered each Sunday to teach children the meaning of worship. The 3-month session was called All In Worship and not only did they teach the children songs, they taught them the meaning of the songs and the passages in the Bible from where they came. The kids learned to focus on God as they worshiped, to clap along as they sang, and to close their eyes and lift holy hands toward God as well.

I was blessed to be asked to join them in teaching songs and we had a lot of fun together. One thing I taught was that if we, God’s children, don’t worship Him and the one whom He sent, the rocks and hills will. Christ said in Luke 19 when the Pharisees told Him to rebuke His disciples for blessing the king who comes in the name of the Lord, “I tell you…if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

At the end of the session, we gave each child a CD with some of my music so they could play and sing with them when riding in the car with Mom and Dad. I got to know the kids a little and they got to know me. Now we high five in the hall for God!

I had lots of fun at Spirit Midwest last month performing on the first evening with Certainty and it turned out to be a nice night with plenty of music, fellowship with fans and other musicians, good food, and mega amounts of mosquitoes. Ouch! I’m still scratching.

There was a performance at the Granger Praise Fest in Granger, IA , and early in September I played in support of Meals from the Heartland, as thousands of volunteers packaged meals for delivery to starving people around the world.

Plans continue to for the upcoming trip to and performance in the “closed county” I told you about in the last blog. I’m waiting to tell you the name of the place in order to avoid “tipping my hand” to authorities there. Spiritual roadblocks are starting to pop up in a big way, but that just means the evil one is working to thwart what God wants to do in that unreached country.

The spiritual warfare that goes on there reminds me of Frank Peretti’s books This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness. Ephesians 6:12 says that our “struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the authorities of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Battles are fought every day against these forces for the souls of those who don’t know Christ. The only way to overcome them is by putting on the full armor of God and through the power of prayer.

The country where I am going is a dark place spiritually, one where the name of Jesus is rarely uttered and where very few experience the joy of knowing Him. This darkness hates The Light that is Jesus Christ. As I prepare to go, please pray for the spiritual and physical protection of the team that will perform with me and that God would use us to shine His Light there. Can’t wait to see what God’s going to do there through the performances.

Until next time, praise God!

Jeff

Jeff Arrandale Blog – Getting It Going

Thanks for checking in on my new blog. Lots of stuff going on, but first, let me tell you about the plan and purpose for this blog. It will be my way of keeping you up-to-date on what God is doing with me musically.

Right now, Century Music Group is working with me on generating content for the website. In the future, there will be frequent content updates, including video and audio podcasts which are in the works. We will post new music, some just after it’s been written, and much more. Please be sure to sign up to my mailing list HERE, so we can keep you updated as things move along. I’d also love to hear from you, so feel free to leave comments on the site.

Now for an update on what else has been going on.

Worship at the church where I lead has been especially sweet this summer. We’re going through some changes, tough changes for some, with some people leaving, but most staying, and new people showing up. So it’s a time a renewing, a time of healing, and a time of spiritual growth. God has been especially attentive to our needs during our worship times. People are showing up broken and are allowing Him to work in their hearts through heart felt worship. Like I said, it’s been a sweet time and God gets the Glory.

Had a great time with Ben and Frank from Certainty performing on a live internet radio show. We were in the studio with the “Live from the Path Radio Show and Broadcast” talking about music, upcoming performances, future plans, and we played a few tunes acoustically live. The address where you can watch is www.desmoinesamplified.com or www.livefromthepath.org. The link for the entire hour-long show is at http://vimeo.com/13673146. They posted the performance of I Can Feel You Watchin’ and His Place separately on YouTube. Hosts Ben Fust, Mike Fust, and Dan Hudson are a riot. You’ll want to listen for the donkey meat stand bit and other hilarious stories.

We did this broadcast to help promote an upcoming performance at Spirit Midwest. I’m perform with Certainty at that event on August 6. The venue is in West Des Moines at Jordan Park. It’s an annual Christian Rock festival and this year there are 40 bands. They also expanded to two days this year with three stages and you can camp on site as well. We play on Friday night the 6th starting at 5:45 p.m. on the main stage. There will be fun things for the whole family so bring them all. Did I mention that it’s free!

Lastly, I’m looking forward to and making plans for a trip to and performance in a closed country this Fall. By that I mean a communist held country where people do not enjoy the same freedoms, including the freedom to worship, as we do here. As plans and dates are solidified, I’ll share them with you.

Thanks again for checking in. God is good all the time. All the glory goes to Him.

Jeff