(we even got Mom to listen to this song!)

Lecrae’s new album (Rehab) is coming out September 28th. I can’t wait!

-NatetheGreat

(Listen and watch the whole 6+ minutes – it just keeps getting better and better).

And for those of you who want to download the mp3, get it right here! (Right click, save as).

Feel free to download the file to your ipods, copy and share it with friends, or what have you. I just registered the copyright to the song, so we should be all squared away!

Watch the video to hear how it sounds! (And trust me – our camcorder mic does not give the guitar justice…)

This purchase has been in the works for a looong time. For the past few years I’ve grabbed every opportunity I could to play other guitars, and by last month, I knew almost exactly what I wanted.

It had to be a dreadnought, have a cutaway, and have a built-in preamp. In addition it couldn’t be “glitzy”, had to play well, and sound extraordinary!

My budget: up to $800. (But my cheap self preferred something in the $300-$500 range).

To make a long story short, the Martin DCX1KE impressed me the most out of all the other guitars in that price range. It has a wonderful tone, especially to the player – every single string not only rings out crisp and clear, but reverberates inside the body for an amazing (bassy?) feel. If this is a hallmark of all Martin guitars, you can call me a fan!

The playability and action “out of the box” was perfect for me, and the factory strings, although no longer quite as jangly crisp as they were a few weeks ago, are mellowing out beautifully.

The bass and treble response are both awesome – clear and loud without messing up the mix. I’ll allow that the mid range on this guitar is more prominent (but not dominant) than most others on the market, and it takes some time getting used to. But I love it now!

And the look? Well, you can’t beat it. Matte, hand rubbed finish throughout – not a spec of shiny lacquer. The wood grain in the neck is beautiful, and feels almost like it’s just been sanded at the woodshop. That’s how I like it!

An added bonus is the smell. It’s been 3 weeks since I ordered the guitar online, and the spruce top still emits a wonderful woodsy aroma.

Now for the bad news. The price. It was still well within my budget, but I had secretly been hoping to find a dream guitar for something cheaper…

Price: $699.00

In the end, you usually get what you pay for. I didn’t pay for the $8,000 Martin guitar that I played at one of the music shops that I visited. But neither did I skimp, and go with a “halfway decent” $300 – $400 Fender or Takamine.

I’m very glad that God led me to this perfect balance, and pray that I may use this guitar for His glory in the days, months, and years to come.

I’m still playing around and experimenting with codecs, figuring out the best combination of video and audio quality. Please let me know how the video fared on your various internet connections! Once you load the video the first time, you shouldn’t have to load it again – unless you reboot your computer.

If the above video is taking too long, (or you’re in a hurry), here’s the link to the same movie on Vimeo.com. It’s lower quality, but much quicker!

- Walter

Sony Vegas simply runs at a whole different level than Movie Maker, and the learning curve can be a little steep at first. To make learning the new program more fun, I used some old footage from earlier this year to create a cheesy car commercial!

Enjoy! Hit the “More” link to watch the movie…..

What is Aunt Frances doing with us? Well, that’s a long story for another time. For now, just enjoy the show! (I don’t have time to upload this to youtube right now, so this is as good as it gets!)

[flashvideo filename=/wp-content/videos/the-conquest.flv /]

High quality .wmv video – be forewarned, it is a very large file.

Above is the music video by Mark Schultz, “Letters From War”. It tells the beautiful story of a young man in the military (WWII?) writing letters to his mother, and her steadfast prayers for her son. It’s really well done!

Unlike the music video, however, there are many sons who don’t come home. Like 19 year old Private Ross McGinnis of Knox, PA. On December 4th, 2006, a grenade sailed into the Humvee where he and 4 other soldiers sat. Without even thinking, McGinnis reacted. He shouted a warning to the others, and then fell on the grenade to deaden the blast.

19 years old. My age. No time to think, only to react. And he gave his life for the lives of his 4 comrades. Would I be able to do that?

McGinnis will be posthumously awarded America’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, on June 2nd.

This my friends is what Memorial Day is all about. Let us remember those who came before us, and sacrificed their blood, sweat, tears, and even their lives for future generations.

[flashvideo filename=/wp-content/videos/civil-war.flv /]

[If you can't watch the video above, download the .wmv to your computer.]

Once again, a nearby tiny (but proud) town put out a great show – a calvary charge, skirmishes, cannons, a period dress fashion show, parades, “General Lee”, and even a Confederate ball (which we were sadly unable to attend…). I chuckle now as I write this, ’cause there were a couple times that us Yankees felt just a tad bit out of place – but I guess that’s just the culture.

If you’re struggling with the latest portion of “The Story of the Land” (that’s practically everyone I fear), watch this video! It might have some help for you.

We also took a ton of pictures, so stay tuned for more!