Well, the summer is coming to a close which means football is getting ready to start. We play 5 preseason games this season. (regularly 4) Yuck. That’s a lot of energy to expend for something that will pretty much just go away. Obviously I want to do well with those opportunities, but you do kinda get get ready for real bullets to fly after a while. I covet any prayers you can offer up in this time for my family and me. It is difficult being away but it always seems to go quickly. Before we know it it will be September and we’ll be lining up for our first game in the new stadium. I am as excited for this season as I’ve ever been for one. I truly believe my glad anticipation is from God.

This off season has been an amazing time of growth for me with regard to my perspective on football. Once again God has driven home the truth (through different means) that He is all that matters. Not wins, not “platforms”, not album sales or contracts, not even ministry. Loving Him and loving others is first . . . . . . . and only! Lord, may we always err on the side of loving You and others. And, in doing so, not err at all.

-hunter

OK, so obviously we are not the best at blogging regularly. So, here is my attempt at being better and sharing something that is important to me. The goal is to share a weekly “review” of albums I am listening to. Being in the business of music I have learned a lot from reviews and one person sharing there thoughts on someone else’s art. So, I do not intend on discrediting anyone’s art but to share my favorite albums and why they inspire me. With that said here is my first entry…

Jakob Dylan “Seeing Things”

Jakob Dylan’s first attempt at a solo album has me completely engaged. I have been a fan of the Wallflowers (Jakob’s band) for a long time. I can’t imagine the pressure that being the son of one of the greatest songwriter’s of all time (Bob Dylan) would be like. The Wallflowers released several amazing albums with great songs and brilliant lyrics. However, I feel like Jacob has finally found his sound with his new album “Seeing Things”. I am sure that he is tired of being compared to his father but, I feel that this album is what a contemporary Bob Dylan would make. Those that are familiar with Bob’s work know that he was offend criticized by the thought that his music was to “old fashioned”. Bob was inspired by early folk and country music and idolized people like Woody Guthrie. Early in his career he did mostly covers by the greats that he admired. With this said the folk sound of Jakob’s new album is new and fresh. I feel like he is equally keeping alive the spirit of great old folk music and making new music that pushes the boundaries and creating something that is truly his own. I believe Jakob built the confidence that he needed musically through the Wallflowers and in his first solo album he has proven that he no longer needs to remain in the shadow of his father’s legacy and has created something uniquely his own. The only thing that I am left wanting from Jacob after listening to this album is MORE. If you have the interest and the time to check out Jakob Dylan’s new album it is well worth it.

Any of you have it?  What do you think?

christopher

Hello, we just wanted to give you guys a quick update from our busy weekend. Friday night we were in Dallas, Texas at Celebrate Freedom with David Crowder and Shane and Shane. It was a great event and had a great response at the Pizza Hut Park.

Saturday morning (EARLY MORNING) we flew back to Indy and hung out with our families for a few hours then drove up to Akron, IN where we performed at the Spark in the Park event. We love playing in our home state. We shared the event with Todd Agnew (one of our favorite people) where we played for around an hour and Hunter spoke to the audience, then we came back up and
closed with some worship.

Again, ANOTHER early flight Sunday morning to Tulsa, OK. Sunday night we played at KXOJ’s Rockets Over Rhema with The Afters and Mark Harris. There was a great turnout with over 30,000 in attendance. It is always so humbling and encouraging to look out over the audience and see people singing along to the songs that God has given us.

We are looking forward to this weekend where will be in Kendallville, IN on Saturday and in Whitestown, IN on Sunday evening for a fundraising event for a good friend of ours Dave Manzer. We hope that if you guys are in the area of either of these events you will come out and say hey! thanks so much for your support.

Oh yeah, and we got a new website this that has a bunch more information. Hope you all like it.

christopher

Hey everyone, we have some bad news. Unfortunately we will not be able to perform at the patriotic festival at Grace Assembly in Whiteland this weekend.

We were initially given June 30th as the date for the event and were available for that date. However, the concert is now on June 29th and we will be in Tulsa, OK playing at a festival for KXOJ. So sorry for any inconvenience and we hope to see you this weekend at one of our other shows!

Thanks,

Chris

I HATE THE PERFORMANCE SPIRIT!!!

Sorry to yell. It may be surprising to some, seeing as how Hunter and I are worship leaders, but I have not lead worship at my home church in a while. This is a result of many factors that I won’t get into right now but I just lead worship tonight for the first time at the church that my wife and I have been attending since October. Worship is always my desire whenever we do a concert or lead worship at a church. However, the battle of trying to balance leading worship and “entertaining” people can be very difficult. The desire to perform and share gifts with people can easily cloud the ultimate purpose of pursuing God with everything I have. Right before I went up at the end of the service tonight to lead Chris Tomlin’s song “Enough” to close out the night I felt convicted by the lyrics “all of You is more than enough for me”. I had to ask myself, do I really believe this? Do I find all that I need in Him? Obviously I don’t when the desire for the approval of man comes rushing in to take my attention away from the One who deserves all I can give.

It is impossible for me to fake worship. I can’t get up there and just sing these songs and go through the motions. God teach me how to give you all that I have. To pour myself out as an offering and to empty myself so that there is nothing left to take away the worship You and You alone deserve.

Chris

Hey everyone, I just wanted help raise awareness about a great cause. Donald Miller (one of my favorite authors) is riding across the country to raise awareness about the need in Africa for fresh-water wells. Check out thevideo to learn about more ways to get involved.Chris

Good day people. We had a great time last night up in West Lafayette at Covenant Presbyterian Church. It is always so exciting and encouraging to meet and worship with new people. I think everything went well despite the fact that the churches air conditioning went out. The audience hung in there like champs and we all had a blast and sweated…a lot. We just wanted to say a special thanks to the church for their hospitality. It means so much when we travel around and people make us feel so welcome. Thanks.

Chris

This is Hunter and I making sure that safety always came first on the ship.

Hunter actually wore his life jacket the entire time he was on the ship.

I figured being on a cruise, this would be a good time to see what I would look like with a pompadour.

In case you missed it…this is what we looked like performing on the ship!

This is me at Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West…he wasn’t home.

Here is us at the autograph table. Yeah the line is moving past us because Candice Cameron is behind us. So what, if it were Kimmy Gibbler I would be excited!

This was us leading worship on Wednesday morning.

-chris

Have you ever experienced “Chunks In The Night”? No, this isn’t a Broadway musical. This is when you hear your 3 year old hurling in his bed at 4 a.m. Last night the Smith household experienced this phenomenon in full effect.

We had had a full weekend with the holiday and things. Lots of friend time, play time, and food. We were all sleeping soundly for several hours when we heard that awful noise that I haven’t heard since my dorm-mates got back from their parties in college. Chunks In The Night. Of course, at least my inebriated loser friends made it to the toilet to let go of a stomach full of poor judgment. My son? Nah, the mattress will do just fine Dad. When we walked into the room it was obvious what we were up against. Poor guy was sitting up clutching a monkey in one hand and a “doggy” in the other. All 3 of them soaked in partially digested Memorial Day fare.

If you are a parent you know the moment I had last night. You know, where you’re crouched down in the laundry room floor while your spouse bathes the little rascal. (meanwhile he/she feels much better and wants to play in the bathtub………..at 4:15 a.m.) But there you are picking the chunks of hot dog out of the sheets/stuffed animal fur thinking about just throwing it all away in a giant garbage bag. I got it all out and washed it on the hottest cycle. Then I went upstairs to change his sheets and make sure there were no chunks anywhere else. About the time I had it all clear his mom brought him upstairs. We prayed with him and laughed a little. All was well again and we were heading back to sleep as a family.

It had only taken 45 minutes. Not bad. 15 minutes later he hurled again. This time less chunks, but still enough to repeat the whole process again. You know, a little bit of puke is like being a little bit pregnant. No such thing as using “wipes” when you’re talking about kids spewing. 

All the while I kept thinking about my parents doing the same thing for me. You do it because you love them. Who knows, someday I’ll probably look back and wish I had one more middle of the night with them at this age picking out chunks and gathering memories. Love each other. . . . . . . . . . . and remember.Hunter 

Howdy folks!! I just got back from my first music boat cruise. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about this is a new thing out there in American Christendom. People make their vacation plans for the year for a cruise with a bunch of Christian artists.

Some of the ones on our boat included Casting Crowns, Leland, Toby Mac, Rush Of Fools, Hawk Nelson, Joy Williams, Matthew West, Newsong, and a few others. It was fun. We had 3 opportunities to play and they all went well. I’m sure Chris will post some pictures when he gets back. My wife wasn’t able to go because they cut off the age for children at 4 months and Samuel is 2 months old. Of course, 4 months/2 months/6 months………well, it’s all bedlam so I don’t know where they got that number. At any rate, I was a third wheel with Chris and Jenna (his wife) for 3 days and left early from Mexico after we had fulfilled our playing schedule. It was fun hanging with them and all, but at some point it’s time to let them be a married couple on a cruise and excuse myself. Cruising solo is no fun because all you do is eat to ease the boredom. Every one feels sorry for you too. Between these two you come home fat and feeling sorry for yourself. It was time to come home. My wife is glad I’m home too.

By the way, the minivan is running like a top and getting cooler with each coming day. I’m looking for some “high water” khaki pants and a good pair of redeemed lawn mowing shoes laced up too tight to round out the persona. Blessings to you all!

Hunter