evenstillmusic.com

So… we haven’t actually dropped off the face of the earth… it just may seem like it!  In fact, we will be opening for Building 429 in just nine more days (July 2nd @ Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Greenville, TX) so we’d love to see you there!

We are currently very busy recording songs for our first album (I say “first” because we are writing and performing way more songs than we could possibly fit onto one album… I guess that’s a good thing) and while it is slow-going, it is also turning out well at this point.  Hopefully we will have some more music posted here in the near future.  For those of you that have heard us live, you will probably recognize these songs, but here are some of the ones that will probably (99% sure) make it to the album:

Arise, Shine

Come Inside

Join the Song (Your Redeemed)

Faith My Way

I Stand Amazed

We have also gotten some new t-shirts that will be making their debut on July 2nd as well… pretty fun stuff.  I am excited about what God is doing in the band and in our respective churches and also about the ministry platform that He is giving us within our community.  To Him be all glory and honor!

- jonathan

Some of the band will be attending (not playing on the same billing, silly) the Rock and Worship Road Show concert in Dallas tonight (featuring MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, Hawk Nelson, Addison Road, Tenth Avenue North).  Then tomorrow night we will be playing at The Well Coffee Lounge in Royse City again… good folks with a great establishment (tasty food and drink… seriously!).  Sunday morning we will each be at our respective churches doing what we do (hopefully doing it well) and then we pack it up and will be driving a few hours over to Magnolia, Arkansas, to lead in a night of worship at The Church at Waterbrook.  I’m personally looking forward to this one because I’ll also get to see a good number of friends and family (and they have not yet heard evenstill… I’m excited for them to hear!).  Pray for us this weekend for safe travels and for healthy voices and fingers!

- jonathan

I’ll just let this story do the talking. Thanks for the encouraging words Brandy.

As a young girl, a lot of my nights were spent with my parents…not at home, not at church, not at a family member’s house, but at a bar.  I would fall asleep most of the time to the blaring music and a smoked filled room.

I dreaded it, my mother loved to “go out” and so there we were, my brother and I sitting in a bar, even if it was a school night.

I would watch everyone around me, and I knew that this was not okay.  I told myself that if I were to have children, that I would try my best to do things differently.  I AM NOT saying that I am a perfect mother, but God used those situations to teach me that this cycle had to stop with me. ( I am also not trying to act as if I have never gone out and had drinks with my friends, sadly I have had too many of those nights in my past, but never around my kids and I will say that my kids have Never seen me under the influence of alcohol…never.)

So tonight as I sat in a Christian Coffee House in Royse City, I closed my eyes and remember those nights so vividly. (Tonight the kids and I went to see a Christian band sing.  They are friends of mine and Lee’s.)  What brought me back was when I looked at Andrew from across the room and he mouthed, “It’s kinda loud!”  There is a big difference though… we were in a coffee house, drinking coffee, no smoke filled room, and they band was worshiping our Father.  It felt amazing to hear them sing and praise the Lord, and my children were with me and watching me sing the words, (until they ran off to play board games)

I just can’t express how my heart feels.

My life is changing more and more with each day.  Each day I strive to be more like Jesus, I’m not perfect and I will never be perfect, but with each waking day I pray that I can empty myself and let God fill me with the Holy Spirit.

Seriously, if someone would have told me 5 years ago that I would be spending my Friday night in a coffee house listening to a Christian band, well I don’t know what I would have said.  I surely wouldn’t have believed them.  I will say though, I am thankful for my relationship with Him and I never want to live my life for me.  It’s not about me, never was, I am so glad that I know that.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am”

1 Cor. 15:10

Man, Sunday was INCREDIBLE! Three services in one day can really tax one’s vocal cords; of course, I’m probably singing incorrectly and thus have little endurance. Anyhooo… We started the morning at 9am @ Highland Terrace in Greenville. I really miss playing with those guys. We had about six singers up there with three acoustics, an electric, and bass and drums. Sound like too much? Well, IT WASN”T! hehe Everyone did a very good job of blending and not trying to be a star. Well… and I wasn’t plugged in nor did I have a mic. OK, 5 singers, 2 acoustics, an electric, and bass and drums.

On to Trinity Baptist in Royse City (you know, for the longest time I spelled it “Royce” City – oops). WOW! That little congregation really sang! Even on the songs they had never heard, these wonderful people just sang right along and worshipped to their hearts content. Joel Sprayberry actually played the first song of the morning; he is a rockin’ acoustic player! I’m jealous. Then, we did the worship set. Just imagine – little church, hasn’t seen a drum set in (ever?) a long time, lots of seniors, and they were just singin’ like nobody’s business! I love those people.

That night we played at Trinity Fellowship in Rockwall. What a set-up! We’ve never seen so many monitors! They had a monitor mix for every single person up there!! Poor Jenn was frantically learning the new board and figuring out who’s monitor was who’s. YOU ROCK JENN! Marla nearly lost her earrings on that first sound check. LOL There was actually a little dancing in that service; good times.

Nothing like a little Genghis Grill to finish a long day. Maybe I shouldn’t have used so much DRAGON sauce…

-br!4n

SSL!

Musically, we’re still trying to find our sound. I’ve tried my hand at lead and I’ve not been pleased. I’m not giving up yet, but I’m on a really steep learning curve. However, we may have a very pleasant surprise at our next rehearsal (I think I’ve found a lead player *BIG GRIN*)! Since Jonathan has given me the green light, I’ll have a full wind ensemble before the year is up! (just kidding J).

Spiritually, we have found our niche. We praise the Creator, our Redeemer, for what He does in our lives every day! All of our songs focus on that (not by our design) and it’s just cool to watch Him work.

We did have a wonderful time of worship that night, and I hope the message – His message – got through.

Wherever we play, whoever is listening, we give it all to You, LORD!

-b

We played at the Greenville Christian School chapel this morning and had a good time getting to know the kids and worshiping together.  We leave Saturday morning to visit Rosewood Studios in Tyler and determine if it is the right fit for us for recording.