Category Archives: Awesomenessness

Awesomenessness, Campus Ministry, Collecting Experiences, Leadership, My Life, Study, Youth Ministry

Looking Forward

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I am so excited about an opportunity I’ve been given. At the end of the month I’ll be teaching a seminar class at Harding University for the youth ministry department. My seminar will focus on weighing the differences between Campus Ministry and traditional Church Youth Ministry. I’ve titled the class Bringing the Big Man to Campus.

I am super excited about this. It has been a goal of mine to pursue opportunities in public speaking and teaching. This opportunity fell in my lap and I am running with it. One day I would love to travel and speak. I love inspiring people and discussing issues of ministry, leadership, and development. This is a chance to do something different and to work on my skills. This also lets me meet and interact with students who are about to set out and serve teens and their families. This is promising to be a great weekend.

Please keep me in your prayers as I am preparing to teach this class. I’ll be sure to post some content for the weekend here soon. Thanks for your prayers!

Awesomenessness, Guilty Pleasure, Life, My Wife Rules, Thoughts

A Time Waster?

Most people understand how quickly time can get away from them in this “instant information” culture that we live in.

Instant Message can be a total time burglar.

However, taking a few minutes to talk (IM) with my wife during the work day seems to be the opposite of wasting time.

We just had a great little convo checking in with one another and making plans for tonight. Having the ability to instantly connect has its advantages.

I know this post about IM sounds like it came right out of 1998- but hey gotta love the classics of the Internets.

2009, Awesomenessness, Music, Pope Bono, U2

It’s Official

March can’t come any faster! This is your warning- Over the next few months I will probably be a one topic pony. This is not an apology. It is just a warning.

No Line On The Horizon, the new studio album from U2, will be released on Monday 2nd March 2009. (Tuesday March 3 here in the States)

Written and recorded in various locations, No Line On The Horizon is the group’s 12th studio album and is their first release since the 9 million selling album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, released in late 2004.

Sessions for No Line On The Horizon began last year in Fez, Morocco, continued in the band’s own studio in Dublin, before moving to New York’s Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and finally being completed at Olympic Studios in London.

The album calls on the production talents of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite.

from U2.com

Now if those in charge of the tour could schedule around the birth of my first born I would greatly appreciate it. Come to Dallas early spring or late summer guys. Just avoid the end of May/beginning of June. Pleeeeeeaaaaasssse!!!!

Awesomenessness, Collecting Experiences, Firm on the Rock, Live Music, Music, Popular Culture

Concert Review: Matisyahu @ the Palladium Ballroom

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Matisyahu 3 I had the chance to see Matisyahu in concert last night. This marked the third time I have seen his electric stage show and I loved ever minute of it. For those of you who don’t know about Matisyahu here is a one sentence bio:

Matisyahu is an Orthodox Hasidic Jew who blends reggae, rock, and hip-hop beats into some extremely awesome music.

There. That sums it up nicely.

In 2005 I was heading out on a long trip and the album cover to Live at Stubb’s jumped out at me. I grabbed it and then proceeded to wear my iPod battery out listening to this amazing artist blend reggae and rock with the Old Testament in ways deeper and more meaningful than ever. I have been hooked ever sense.

The concert was at the Palladium Ballroom in downtown Dallas. I had been told that the Palladium was a dive but I really liked the venue. It was in a sketchy part of town but the actual concert area was very nice. There was a great open space, no smoking, and friendly staff and security.

Matisyahu opened the set with L-rd Raise Me Up and captured the crowd with his unique sound. From there the show built to a fevered pitch as the band went through songs old and new. The band is working through a few new songs in anticipation of the new album due out in early 2009. They tried out So High So Low and Smash Lies from the recently released EP, Shattered, on the crowd to much fanfare. The new songs fit well into set and made me excited for the rest of the album.

Highlights from the concert include an extened versions of Jerusalem (Out of Darkness), Youth, Time of Your Song, Chop Em Down, and of course, King Without a Crown. They played for well over two hours. I (reluctantly) had to call it a night at midnight but the band was still going strong as I made my way to the parking lot. I’ll be interested to see a completed playlist to see what I missed!

I only paid $25 bucks for this show but after what I saw last night I was reminded that I will have to fork out a lot more dough the next time see him. Music like this doesn’t stay cheap forever.

I have already pre-ordered a recording of last night’s set from MatisyahuLive. If you sign up for the Matisyahu mailing list at MatisyahuWorld you can redeem a free song and a free concert. You definitely need to check this guy out. If you like what you hear get Live at Stubb’s, one of my Top 10 Albums of All Time.

Matisyahu 4

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Matisyahu 5

Matisyahu 6

Matisyahu 2

2008, Awesomenessness, Collecting Experiences, Music, Taking Vacations

ACL Friday and Saturday Pictures

I had such a great time at Austin City Limits this year! All in all I saw about 20 full sets from bands that ran the musical gambit from screamo to folk. Here are some pics from Friday and Saturday.

This is the first view of the park I saw as I arrived on the scene Friday afternoon. So much music, so little time.
Endless Possibilities

I left ACL last year as Bob Dylan played on the AT&T stage. The first artist I saw at this year’s ACL was his son, Jakob Dylan, playing on the AT&T stage. “ingonyama bagithi Baba, ingonyama bagithi Baba- It’s the Circle of Life…”
Jakob Dylan

Next up was Jamie Lidell. He closed his set with his hit “Multiply.” Very Motown, very hip.
Jamie Lidell

M. Ward put on a great show. The tent was packed so this was the best shot I could get.
M.Ward

The Jenny Lewis show was my favorite part of Friday. I play her song “Rise Up With Fists!!!” all the time. My wife hates that song. I love it. Like M. Ward, the tent was full and she put on a very entertaining show that had her playing guitar and piano. The set reminded me of last year’s favorite Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
Jenny Lewis & her guitar

I'm Tired

Scottish Rock
The Fratellis on the blue room stage

CSS is a band from Brazil. They had a song featured on the iPod Touch commercial. Music is my (Not So) Hot, Hot Unitard
CSS

Robert Earl Keen’s road went on for just an hour and the party ended right before John Fogerty.
Robert Earl Keen

I almost missed John Fogerty. He played a ton of CCR songs and had the entire audience singing along. Great set and the man’s still got it.
John Fogerty2

Giant Bunny

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss was the show to see on Saturday night. Some guy named Beck was on the other side of the park but who cares. Allison Krauss has the voice of an angel and Robert Plant kept his shirt on. They sang an awesome reinterpretation of Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” that I absolutely loved. Great seats. Great songs. Great Night.
Krauss & Plant On Stage

Robert Plant1

Perfect Duet

Krauss & Plant Mysterious

Awesomenessness, Collecting Experiences, Conference, Discipleship, Ministry, Youth Ministry

DC is for Conferencing

I’m making my way to the nation’s capital for the Unplugged Conference today.

I am so stoked. The conference should be a very intimate and challenging two days of conversations and dreaming. I’m looking forward to hearing from Mark Batterson and Jud Wilhite and I’m looking forward to a cup of Ebenezers in the morning.

I’ll be staying with my bro-in-law and will take the metro into Union Station each day. I like taking mass transit too bad there is no subway in my little town here at home.

I’ll post my thoughts and experiences each night. You can also follow me on Twitter. Keep me in your prayers for safe travel, rest, and growth. Thanks.

Peace,
Felker

Adverts, Awesomenessness, Experience, Leadership, Shameless Self Promotion

I Ought To Be in Pictures

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Although I have more of a radio face, a picture of yours truly made the cover image of the latest mail out for the Catalyst Conference. The Catalyst logo is covered with photos of past Catalyst participants and the one I submitted made the cut.

I’ll try and scan it tomorrow so you can all see it. If you get the mailer today, my wife and I are on the top left of the big C logo. It is a b&w picture of us. Pretty cool.

If you haven’t heard of the Catalyst conference it is worth every penny it will cost you to get to Atlanta. This October will be my fifth (one, two, three, four, fiiiiiifth) Catalyst conference and I am stoked!!! Seth Godin, Tim Collins, Matt Chandler, Craig Groescel, and some guy named Billy Graham are scheduled to speak this year along with Andy Stanley and Dave Ramsey.

If you want more info check out the website or drop me an email and I’ll talk you into registering for the conference.

Best. Conference. Ever.