1st Haircut

Presenting Amelia's new do. Today, my daughter got her ears lowered for the first time. Actually I guess she got her eyes lowered since that's the only part that was cut. At least she can see where she's going now. I'm outnumbered by girls at home. So it pays to have a mother-in-law stylist.

(In other words, I don't have to pay for their haircuts.)

Excerpt from one of my favorite movies "The Man Who Wasn't There":

(Ed and Frank are barbers)

Ed: Frank.
Frank: Huh?
Ed: This hair.
Frank: Yeah.
Ed: You ever wonder about it?
Frank: Whuddya mean?
Ed: I don't know... How it keeps on coming. It just keeps growing.
Frank: Yeah-lucky for us, huh, pal?
Ed: No, I mean it's growing, it's part of us. And we cut it off. And we throw it away.
Frank: Come on, Eddie, you're gonna scare the kid.
Ed: ...I'm gonna take his hair and throw it out in the dirt.
Frank: What the...
Ed: I wanna mingle it with common house dirt.
Frank: What the hell are you talking about?
Ed: I don't know. Skip it.

Who Cares?

This year I'm going to spend a lot of time working on a project that I'm very passionate about. I'm creating a non-profit organization. It's vision/mission is still under wraps.

I have my project plans all laid out and I'm working on a way to spread the idea. The current stage involves creating a "who cares" list.

My "who cares" list is a compilation of names and contact information of people in my cloud of acquaintances that will benefit from this project. These are people who I have an good indication will be willing to jump on board when I raise the red curtain.

This list will help me focus in on my goal and strategy because actual people's personalities and interests are involved.

You just may be on this list. If you are, you'll be hearing from me shortly.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

I never read a book so quickly or gripped a cover so tightly. My white knuckles and Don Miller's words revealed a side of me that's been locked up by fear.

I'd love to dive into a deep review of what touched me most about this book, but I could go on and on for hours. Just pick up a copy and read it. Trust me.

Bottom line for me: God wants to help you write an amazing story for your life. Just ask him to help you. Listen to what he says and do it. Your life, with God's guidance, has the potential to become a much better story than you can write on your own. This is like an opportunity to ask Hemmingway to help you write a story about death and emasculation. God knows what your greatest possible life's story holds. He's already walked it.

Seriously. Pick up "A Million Miles".

Here's a pic of me playing a show at Patrick Sullivan's in Knoxville's Old City around 2003 or 4. Those were fun times. I love sitting with friends and talking about moments past. Though I feel like I'm in a stage of life where the past moments are getting stale. It's time to create new moments that I can sit and talk about in the future. It's time to jump on opportunities.

What's next?

I can't wait to tell you about it.

Pause

My life was too noisy. So I decided to turn down life's volume a bit and take a break from all things "social" online for 21 days. Throughout this week, I'd like to share with you what happened.

Part 1

1. I didn't realize how addicted I was to it. A few days after being away from the "comforting glow" of the computer screen, I felt lonely. I felt out of touch. I realized that my need to contribute to a conversation and the need for affirmation from others online dictated my mood.

2. I'm learning how to live in the here and now instead of always feeling like I need to be in on the cutting edge of everything. I've never felt so out of touch with the rest of the world. On the other hand, I feel like I've taken steps to reconnect with the "real-life" moment I'm in; including the steps taken closer to my family at home. Instead of relying on the glow of the computer screen and the attention of others online, I'm relearning how to focus my attention where it needs to be;

-In tune with God through his word and not only praying, but just listening for his voice.

-In tune with my family

-In tune with God's word about doing everything for His glory; including the productivity level at work.

Christmas Rock Night 2009

Jesus. Worship. Rock n Roll.

You can read more about this event over on bobbywilliamslive.com, but I thought I'd share a quick vid with you. Enjoy!

Christmas Rock Night 2009 from Chris Hill on Vimeo.

Need a Remedy?

Knoxville, TN readers: I now present to you Remedy Coffee.

When walking into Remedy for the first time, you'd never believe they've not yet celebrated their first full year in business. Remedy has nestled itself into Knoxville's Old City community in a way that will quickly boost itself to "city landmark" status. It just fits. (Oh, and also free wifi which you know I love.)

I've been a coffee & tea lover for years and I don't think I've experienced a more knowledgeable staff of baristas. These guys and gals kill it when it comes to quality service and consistency. And of course, they only serve 100% organic direct trade & regional roasted beans to ensure freshness. Their kindness, attention to detail, and caring attitudes match the excellence of the products served at Remedy.

By far the most impressive tidbit of info about Remedy, that often goes overlooked, is their generosity to the community of Knoxville. Here's a quote from Remedy's website:

"100% of our after tax proceeds go towards serving and helping the people and
organizations in Downtown Knoxville who need it the most. Our goal is to help
the people who are doing amazing things in our city like:

- Habitat for Humanity

- Tribe One

- Beardsley Farm"

Remedy Coffee: The name could not be more suitable.

All the details about Remedy can be found on their website here: www.remedycoffee.com/

Pictured above: Loose leaf chai served with soy milk and honey prepared by Jennifer Kisabeth (for less than the price of a grande chai latte at $tarbucks)