andrew dodson

I’ve owned my iPhone for a few months now, and I absolutely love it.  While the camera isn’t quite up to par with my high (read: picky, anal, etc.) standards, I love having it with me in a pinch to get photos.  Here are my favorite photos from 2009:

(click on a picture to load the Lightbox gallery in a pop-up window)

My co-worker at 524concepts, Chris Thurman, has launched a new creative media blog – Visual Swirl.  Be sure to check it out.  The blog features articles on video, web, print, and more.  It’s a must-read for all creative types.  There is also the possibility that I may contribute from time to time, which may or may not help in getting traffic to the site!

Got together tonight with some friends and Julie for some Rock Band 2 action.  A few camera phone shots of the evening:

Check out the photos page for galleries from Christmas and the Abbott Family Danglethon.

Okay.  I’ve decided to blog again.  Yes, wishy-washy.  Just like I said I’d be.  The thing is, I really do have a lot to blog about, and the last couple of weeks has revealed this to me.

Wordpress 2.7

Wordpress just released version 2.7, which is one reason to blog.  Wordpress is one of my favorite things in this world, and it really shows how big of a geek I can be.  I was actually anticipating the release of 2.7.  I’ve used Wordpress for the past four years and don’t plan on using anything different anytime soon.  I’m sure there’s other blogging and content management solutions out there, but I’ve just fallen in love with Wordpress.

New in 2.7 is what you (the faithful blog reader) can’t see.  As I type this, I see a whole new look in the dashboard (i.e., control panel or “back end”) of Wordpress.  It’s been completely redesigned and it’s great.  As mentioned, the new version and the new look of the dashboard is inspiration enough to blog.

A Girl

For the first time in the history of this blog, I’m going to post about a specific girl.  Her name is Julie and she’s pretty awesome.  For those of you that keep up with me on Facebook, this is old news, but it’s new to the blog.

We’ve been dating for a couple of months now, and I’m pretty happy.  As my mom pointed out in a comment a couple of posts ago, she could likely be a reason for posts being scarce as of late.  She has occupied a lot of my free time lately, but if I had to choose between time with her or blogging, it’s a pretty safe bet I’ll pick time with her!  Both of our sets of parents met last night for the first time, and it went very well.  It’s been interesting that all of the “next steps” of the relationship have gone well, without either of us being nervous (meeting parents, meeting family members, meeting each other’s friends).  It’s been a good sign – it’s just felt “normal” in a very good way.  Prayers are appreciated!

Behold the Lamb of God

For the second year in a row, I was a part of performing Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God at The Point.  We were fortunate to have the same crew as last year, with the addition of a couple of string players (who added immensely to the performance).  I am so blessed to have been gifted with the ability to bang on drums for the glory of God.  I am so blessed to be connected with so many amazing musicians that want to glorify God through their talents.  I’m not sure how many (if any) of the bunch will see this, but I just want to thank them for letting me be a part of it all.  It was beautiful.  And a special thanks to the Tomkins family for helping with sound and MediaShout.

My Blog’s Birthday

I started this blog on December 27th, 2004.  This week, it will turn four years old.  I can’t say I thought I’d still be blogging in four years when I started.  Blogs may be dying out, but deep down, I do enjoy getting on here and typing out my thoughts for the world (or, a few people) to see from time to time.  A lot of blogs have a central theme or purpose.  I like that mine is a mix of personal thoughts, sports, music, occasional humor, and most importantly – God.  I hope to continue to blog more about all of these topics more in 2009.  All of this to say, this blog isn’t going anywhere.  I’d miss it too much.

Merry Christmas!

I just returned from Russ & Lilly’s wedding in Cleveland, OH.  It was a fun weekend and congrats and Russ & Lilly!  Check out the slideshow.

Tomorrow night should be a pretty cool night.  The Georgetown College symphonic band is performing their annual spring concert.  A couple of things will make the night unique.

The band will premier a piece written specifically for them.  David Holsinger has composed “Legacy Music” for the band, which will feature parts of the Georgetown College Alma Mater.  I’ve never had the opportunity to hear a premier, let alone record it.  It’ll be a special experience.

As part of the concert, Dr. LaRue has invited all of the “gem alumni” back to campus – nineteen in all.  The gem alumni are former members of the band that played significant enough roles to be designated a “gem” by Dr. Pete.  I’m fortunate to be a part of this group, one way or another.  It’s exciting that all nineteen – literally coming from all over the globe – will be in attendance.  I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends.

If you want to hear some good music tomorrow evening, drop by the John L. Hill Chapel on the campus of Georgetown College at 8 p.m. for a special evening.

I’m happy to recommend a new blog by a somewhat new friend – John Martin (not to be confused with Josh, and no relation).  John and I go back to February of 2006 when I was considering buying an electronic drum set.  My boss recommended I speak with a guy who used to rent a house from him.  So, I called and met up with John at Memorial Baptist Church and he sold me on the Yamaha DTXpress III Special.  Since then, I’ve had occasional contact with him through CLS and church activities.  Recently, he joined us (some guys from The Point and me) on a trip to Seattle, so I’ve gotten to know him better in the last few months.  I learned about his blog earlier this week, but I’m just getting around to linking to it.

John is a great guy in this order – He loves the Lord, he loves his family, is a great husband and father, he faithfully serves his church as a pastor, and he is a great drummer & musician.  Go read his blog.

I normally like to get the bad news first, but in this case, I’ll give you the good news.  Here’s a wrap up of the latest from the Josh Martin Band.

Good News

Josh and Christy Martin are going to have a baby!  Josh had told me a few months ago that they were trying, and it has finally happened.  So, congrats to them.  Keep them in your prayers that Christy’s pregnancy will go well, and that they’ll be blessed with a healthy, happy baby.  She is due in December, which is also the month of Josh’s birthday.  And my mom.  And Jesus.  So, some pretty cool people were born in December.

The JMB is also working on new material.  Still no plans to record anytime soon, as we’re still working on making the songs sound like songs.  So far, we’ve just sort of hammered through chord progressions on a few new songs.  The next step is coming up with interesting parts to make them sound unique.  It’s a cool process, because it’s the first time we’ve actually written the music to the songs as a band.  They definitely have a different feel than our previous songs.

Bad News

We have, like, zero gigs lined up for this year.  If anyone out there would like us to come and play, let us know!

The really bad news is that we’re losing a member.  Bert Lace has decided to leave the band.  We’re going to miss him!  His family has decided to adopt from a foreign country, and that is one of the reasons for him leaving the band.  He also stays very busy with Cedarmore and Crossings.  Considering his reasons for leaving the band are to glorify God through his family and occupation, I can only be happy for him and wish him the best

The Conversion Story

Somewhere in the middle of playing drums at Evergreen, visiting Crestwood and starting to play drums at Crestwood, God saved me.  I had been having weekly conversations with my friend Jeremy.  He lured me in by making great mochas.  He started sharing the gospel with me.  I had heard it a thousand times, but this time, the irresistible grace offered by God grabbed a hold of my heart.  One evening, while driving to his house, I had the urge to pull over.  It was at that moment that I accepted Christ.  I showed up at Jeremy’s house and the first thing I said was, “I did it.”

How funny is that?  The first thing out of my mouth as a Christian was completely heretical!  See, all I did was stop resisting God.  He did everything else.  He sent Christ to the cross for my sin.  Christ endured the cross for my sin.  All of this so that I could be justified by having faith in Christ’s work on the cross.  For the work He did, I am now saved.

Post Conversion

The past five years have been the most fulfilling years of my life.  I’m a part of a wonderful church.  I have great Christian friends and mentors.  I’m a part of two extremely talented bands.  I’ve been able to use the gifts and abilities God has given me to glorify Him.  It’s become a relief to no longer live for myself, but live for someone else.

Conclusion

This Friday is Good Friday.  The day Christ endured the cross for our sin.  This Sunday is Easter.  The day of Christ’s resurrection – the day He defeated death and sin for eternity.  If you’re a Christian, I hope that you will be a part of services remembering and celebrating the glory of these two events.  If you’re not a Christian, I pray that you will think about attending a service at a local church.  I pray that you will give the story of Christ’s death and resurrection a chance to become real in your life.  Is it time for you to stop resisting God too?