Willie says it best!

Yep...one of our favorite songs sung by the red headed stranger...On the road again! Just can't wait to get on the road again!

This was our first weekend back on the road in 2012 and we had such an amazing time! Michelle, Gabriella, and I headed up to Oklahoma and played in 3 towns in 2 days. Yeah it was fast and furious, but it was so much fun! There were multiple times that all three of us mentioned how fun it was to be back on the road. On the drive home we were trying to figure out what it was about being on the road that we all loved so much. We came up with a few different ideas as to what it is we love best about road life.

Is is the family time? We spend hours and hours in the truck together singing and playing and talking. We get to see and experience new places together making memories and growing our relationships.

Is it just being away from home? There is so much excitement about taking a road trip! You never know what you will come across along the way!

How about being with old friends? Because we travel so much we have formed some great relationships across the country. It is so much fun to see old friends, catch up on life, laugh, talk and and just hang out. In our opinion that is where a lot of ministry happens, in those one on one times over a nice juicy hamburger or hot cup of coffee. Some of our favorite memories are the times we get to just sit and talk and share stories about ministry.

Is it because we are always making new friends? It doesn't matter whether we are at a church or camp or just at a restaurant along the way, when you have someone as cute and friendly as our sweet Gabi new friends are made very easily!

Is it the fact that we get see so much of the country? Whenever we plan a trip we try to make it a learning experience for all of us. We look up and see what there is along the way that would be fun to visit. We have seen some great history, and experienced some very exciting things along the way!

Is it the fact that we get to stay in hotels? If it were up to Michelle we would live in a hotel. That is her dream. It is so much fun to stay in a fresh clean place and have breakfast waiting for you every morning when you wake up!

What we have discovered is that overwhelmingly the answer is D...all of the above! We are so excited to be on the road and and can not believe that God has called us to this incredible life!

We love our life on the road! Thank you God for continuing to bless us with new places and friends along the way!

Back in the saddle again!

This week we are preparing to get back on the road! We head to Oklahoma this weekend for the first road trip of the year. We are so excited to visit old friends and make new ones along our journey! The holidays have been a nice break for us, being home, relaxing, re-grouping, preparing for another exciting year, but we miss being on the road.

I can say with absolute certainty that this is what we were created to do! It is so exciting to know that God has called us to this life of traveling and leading worship, and that He continues to bring us new opportunities and encourage us along the way! Sure there are times that it is hard. We have countless stories of the crazy things that have happened to us while on the road, but through it all, God has been right there with us!

It is amazing to look back at the past 10 years and see where we started and where God has brought us. We have made 7 full length CD's, traveled to 16 different states and 2 countries, played at countless churches, camps and retreats, and we are still going strong! God continues to bring us fresh ideas, new songs, and provide us with new places to play and new people to meet! It is so exciting!

Michelle and I have often sat down and wondered how in the world this all works. We know that we are nothing special. We have no magical powers or secret weapon, we just have faith that God will put us right where He wants us when He wants us there. He continues to bring people into our life that encourage, help, and motivate us to keep pressing on.

So I am excited about this new year! I am looking forward to loading up Truck Norris (yep that is our trucks name) and heading up I-35 this weekend! When you see us driving by, be sure to wave! We will be looking for you!

Look out Oklahoma, here we come!

Resolution or Revolution?

Happy New Year! Can you believe another year has past? I remember when I was a kid and it seemed that it took forever for summer to arrive then it was like a million years until Christmas! The days, weeks, months dragged by like molasses on a cold day, and now they fly by like a leaf caught in a tornado!

As we have now enjoyed a little more than a full week of 2012 I have looked back on 2011 and thought about what went well and what I think I could improve for this new year. Now, I am not one for making new years resolutions. I have a hard time with telling myself I will or won't do something, because I know that I will always let myself down. I can't tell you how many times I have said "This year I will..." only to forget about it a few weeks later. I know that works for some, and to those people I say "Get on wit yo bad self!" I think instead of making a Resolution what I need is a Revolution. I don't need to make more rules for myself, I need a total mind and heart reset.

I don't know if you have seen the list of 50 Rules for Dads of Daughters, but I have run across it recently and it has started my mind racing. In his blog (lifetoheryears.com), Michael gives little tips, hints and rules for dads with little girls and how to make the most out of your relationship with her. If you read it, you will cry, trust me! It made me realize how precious and special each day is with my sweet Gabriella, and how I want to invest and participate in her life and not just exist in it.

One of the things I have realized about myself is the fact that I don't live in the moment. Michelle and I have talked about this so many times. There are times that life is happening around me and I am oblivious to it. I am not soaking in the sights and sounds and feelings...I am just existing. What I am learning is that each day we have here on earth is a gift, and if we don't use it to its full potential we are wasting it. I want to revolutionize my thinking, I want to be present and aware of the world around me! I want to be passionate about my wife, daughter, and the calling on my life. I don't want to let the days blow by me so quickly that I turn around one day and wonder where they have gone. I want to soak in all of Gods glory and goodness, especially in the little things, so that I can be a better husband, father and leader.

I am calling for a Revolution in my life, not a Resolution.

I would love to hear your thoughts! You can post them on our Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/justingravesband

Did you hear that?!?

We recently have added a new family member! Gabi has been wanting a puppy for a long time and this Christmas Santa came early! Our new puppy's name is Jingle Bell and it has been so much fun to watch Gabi as they are playing and learning how to handle a dog! She is a great 'Big Sister' and LOVES playing with her new friend.

The other day I was in the kitchen and Gabi and Jingle Bell were in the living room playing and all I could hear was Gabi giggling and laughing and having so much fun! I just had to stop for a minute and listen to the pure joy coming from the other room. I love that sound! As a dad it made my heart so happy!

It made me start thinking about some of my other favorite sounds, so I have put a list together - in no particular order. Enjoy!

Gabi playing with her puppy, Jingle Bell

The opening guitar lick on U2's "All Because of You"

The crack of a baseball bat when it hits a home run

Thunder storm when going to sleep

Children singing

Opening a Dr. Pepper

The cheer of a crowd when their team wins the 'big' game

New strings on my guitar

Meat cooking on the grill

Stillness of the house when I first wake up

Lawn mowers on a Saturday afternoon

Bob Dylan playing the harmonica

I would love to know what some of your favorite sounds are! Let me know on our Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/justingravesband !

I'm a weakling.

When I was 16 years old I wanted to be a weather man. Yeah, I hear you giggling! That is what I really thought I would be doing when I "grew up." God, however had other plans...

One Wednesday night I sat in church after performing a drama with my youth group, and God spoke to me. Not out loud. I didn't hear Him with my ears, I heard Him in my heart, my mind. I heard Him telling me he had bigger plans for my life. He was telling me that He wanted me to be a Worship Leader, He wanted be to lead His church in worship through song. "What?!?! No way, dude! I have my life planned out and I will be just fine!", were my thoughts. After a bit of a power struggle, I realized that Gods plan for my life is much better than my plan for my life.

I have followed that call on my life, and have dedicated my life to doing what God has called me to do...BUT, and this is a big 'but', I struggle with the responsibility of being a good leader. Sure, I can lead a song, and put music together in a way that flows and makes sense, but that is not all that a worship leaders job is. I struggle with wanting to please everybody all the time (not a trait of a good leader). I am a huge procrastinator. I don't follow through on the things I say I will do. I am generally a lazy person and I coast by on the fact that I have done this long enough that I can just throw something together quickly and it will work. Again, not a trait of a strong leader.

I worry constantly about making the right choice, so much so I get paralyzed with fear can't make decisions on my own and then make the people around me make the decisions for me.

It's at times like this I wonder, "If God has called me to this, why am I so afraid of doing it?"

"Why can't I step up and be the leader God has called me to be?"

"If God has created me to do this, then why do I have so much self doubt and insecurity?"

I have really been soul searching, and trying to figure out what it is that keeps me from stepping up and taking control of my life, and I have realized that that is my biggest problem...I am trying to be in control of my life.

God tells me that He will provide all I need. He won't give me more than I can handle. He will be my strength and power. I have to live daily remembering these promises and holding on to these truths. Paul, the writer of the letters to the Corinthians, says this in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10...

⁸ I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. ⁹ But the Lord said, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me. ¹⁰ Yes, I am glad to have weaknesses if they are for Christ. I am glad to be insulted and have hard times. I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong.

What this says to me is that when I stop trying to control and fix the 'problems' in my life and live in the fact that I am weak and only through God I am strong, I can become the leader that He has created and called me to be. When I do things in my own power because I like to be in control and not admit my weakness, I will always fail. Here is a real world example...

I have a horrible memory. When Michelle asks me to remember something I always tell her I will, I tell myself I will, , but NEVER do. Even though I know I have a horrible memory, I don't want to admit it and I don't do anything to help myself remember because I think I am a big strong man and can do things on my own. But what I am learning is that when she asks me to remember something I have to accept my weakness and make a note for myself, put it on my calendar, or tattoo it on my forehead because I know I will fail if I try to just remember on my own.

The point I am trying to make with this silly example is that when we recognize our weakness and admit to it and ask for help, God will use us in ways that we never expected. If I try to be a better leader on my own just by saying "OK, I am going to be a better leader. Ready...Go!" I will fail every time, but if I say "OK, God, You have called me to be a leader, I know I am weak in the area of leadership, so I need you to lead through me." Not only will He do it, He will do more through me than I ever thought possible. I have to rely on His strength, not my own because "His strength is made perfect in my weakness."

Thanksgiving

With this being the week of Thanksgiving I thought I would make a list of the things I am most thankful for. Hope you enjoy!

1. My Salvation

2. My amazing wife, Michelle

3. My sweet daughter Gabriella

4. Dr. Pepper

5. Freedom

6. Our home

7. Rock-n-Roll

8. My job

9. Our church

10. Pecan Pie

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

You live a different life.

I was hanging out with my friend Matt the other day, and we were talking about life and family and work and stuff. We started talking about the weather and how weather changes affect people.

My wife, Michelle, for example LOVES the cool weather. Any day it is cool enough she will open every window and every door in the house just so we can feel the cool breeze. It energizes her. It makes her more productive (her words). It gives her a pep in her step. She LOVES the cool weather! I, however, am not a fan of the weather changes. When the cool front blow in, I want to hide. I get cold easily. It makes my allergies act up. It causes me to loose my voice (which is how we make a living). I am not a fan of the cool weather.

As I was telling Matt all these things, and telling him about how we have to think about stuff like weather changes and how it affects our business his comment was "Wow, y'all live a different life." I asked him what he meant and we discussed it further. He told me how interesting it is that in our line of work we have to pay attention to things like the weather, how the time of year affects what we do, how we have to think about things that 'normal' people don't ever pay attention to. We had a good laugh, but it made me start thinking about his comment, "You live a different life."

Am I, as a Christ-follower, living a different enough life that people notice? Is my lifestyle different enough, that the people I come in contact with know there is something different about me? Is the way I treat my family and friends telling of my love for God?

It was a good wake-up call for me, a reality check of sorts, to remind me that I should be living my life in such a way that people who know me, and even strangers I meet would notice that I live a 'different life.' A life that reflects God's love, a life that is modeled after the greatest commandment, "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself."

So now that the cool weather is arriving, I will put on my sweat-shirt, load up on vitamin C and allergy medicine, and open all the windows and celebrate this wonderfully different life that God has called us to live!