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This past weekend was senior recognition weekend at my church. The youth band and choir led worship and several of the seniors gave testimonies.

I got to sit in with the band (they needed an electric guitarist—you know, so they could rock out), and I was so impressed. The youth put in lots of extra hours this past week striving towards excellence, and their hard work and diligence was met with success.

Here's the catch: all of this hard work was not to make themselves look good—rather, it was a genuine effort to glorify and worship the Lord with their talents. This focus on the Lord is so rare that when you do actually see it, it shines like a bright light in contrast to the world around us. Thanks, guys and gals. You inspired me.

As I'm raising two young daughters, this kind of experience gives me hope. A hope that my girls will have a strong group of peers that aren't afraid to stand in their beliefs.

I feel like I've been in a music coma the last three or four years. (This timeline roughly corresponds with the birth of my first child followed by a second 18 months later.) I think I'm coming out of that coma, though, and Dave Barnes is helping to wake me up.

I bought Brother, Bring the Sun and Chasing Mississippi after Kat mentioned Dave on her blog. I ripped them and forgot about them until the other day when I saw his name on the credits for Bethany Dillon's "All I Need". I thought, "Hmm, is that the same Dave Barnes?" Yep, sure is.

Dave's music is a refreshing treat with an amazing grasp of classic sounds across several different styles. Go check him out.