Keziah Design

“The name Keziah is a Hebrew word.  It describes a tree that has aromatic bark or berries.  This “spice” tree produces berries that have a sweet smell.  Birds often pick these pure berries for a delicious treat.

Keziah Design can be summed up in three words – fresh, relevant and creative.

What I do and how I am different!
Anyone can make a logo or design, but not everyone can make creativity relevant to your specific needs.  Simply stated, it takes a partnership and collaborative, creative thinking.  I bring ideas that are unexpected and fresh.“

Hey everyone, I just wanted to highlight a little design company I’ve been working with for over a year now.  My good friend Dave Butler is the owner of Keziah Design and he has helped Retread with all of our branding.  He’s currently working with us to develop a logo and membership card for our Jubilee Kids Club and he’s also helping me with the design and branding for the personal photography business I’ve started.

The reason I continue to go back to Keziah Design when I need something designed is because of the personal hands on relationship that’s formed between Dave and any person he’s working with.  He cares about what you want and will work with you until YOU are satisfied!  So, go over and check out their website today!

Especially his illustrations!  If you’re looking for someone to illustrate the children’s book you just wrote, Dave’s your guy!!!

Bye, Bye, Twitter

Tonight I was talking a little with my wife about Lent.  I’ve really been thinking a lot about it and what I’ll give up this year.  I totally missed out on the beauty of Lent last year, because of my depression.  I was struggling so bad, I just couldn’t wrap my mind around giving something up.  I needed to be saved from what I was dealing with.

This year is a totally different story.  God is good and working in my life.  Our Organic Church is growing and amazing things are happening.  I’m totally excited and looking towards Lent with enthusiasm.  I can’t wait to see what God has in store for all of us as we journey through 40 days of sacrifice only to arrive at resurrection Sunday celebrating Him.

I know it’s not kosher to tell people what you are giving up for Lent, so if you read my blog and we see each other on a regular basis, just accept this as notice, and we don’t need to talk about it beyond this post.  My closest friends know how much I love Twitter and my wife will tell you I’m addicted.  Tonight she joked that I should give up my iPhone for Lent and I quickly squashed the thought.  But, for the past week or so, giving up Twitter for Lent has been heavily on my heart.  I can’t think of anything else I’m more attached to at this point in my life, so it’s perfect for creating a little reminder in my soul to help me constantly think over the next 40 days of the beautiful gift God gave to me in the form of his son.

Deletion of the application for Twitterfon and Twitterrific will be removed from my iPhone tomorrow when I sync my phone one last time before going out-of-town on business.  And, while I’m at it, I might as well say goodbye to Facebook.  It’s equally as addictive for me as Twitter and could serve as a mild replacement for giving up Twitter.  The reality of all of this could mean I have to rebuild my Tribe of followers on Twitter, but if that means more to me that a growth opportunity with my creator, then Twitter really is pretty pathetic.  I need this to be a time of reflection and drawing near to God.  I’m ready to grow, to be stretched, challenged and I can’t wait for resurrection Sunday!

I’ll see all of you on the back end of 40 days and I can’t to celebrate with a Tweet!

Music Soothes My Soul

I was thinking last night, as I laid my head down to rest, how music soothes my soul.  I need music in my life, because it’s another way for me to connect.  When I listen to music something happens within me that helps me to relax, to dream, and to think about the past and the future.

Have you ever been listening to a song and a flood of feelings and emotions flowed through you because that song was playing at the time of a specific experience you had?  Sometimes it can invoke sad or negative feelings and other times they are happy and positive, but they are still feelings and whether you’ve ever realized it or not, you are connecting.

Music is a gift and I love people who are musically gifted.  They have such a wonderful way of expressing who they are, their thoughts, and their lives with the world.

As I drifted off to sleep last night I had some music playing softly on my night stand, but I was specifically thinking about the music experiences I had this year and wanted to share a few of them with you.

My most moving experience would definitely be from the private concert we had at the Q conference in New York, with The Fray’s, Isaac Slade at the piano and Joe King playing the acoustic guitar.  They shared several new songs that hadn’t even been recorded on their new album yet.  It was definitely a special memory for me and my wife.

I also had an opportunity to see Jon Forman perform a few songs, with Keith Tut on the Cello, at the Catalyst conference.  Always a good show with the two of them together and very reminiscent of the private concert they did last year at the Tabernacle in Atlanta for the very first Q conference.

Purchasing several new albums this year has been a ton of fun and I’ve absolutely loved listening to them during all my trips.  Some were newly released this year and others are older but new to me.  Here they are in no particular order.

• Secondhand Serenade “A Twist in my Story.”
• Fall Out Boy “Infinity on High”
• Falling Up – “Captiva.”
• Coldplay – “Viva la Vida.”
• David Cook – “David Cook.”
• We the Kings -  “We the Kings.”
• Guns N’ Roses – “Chinese Democracy.”

There may be more, but these are the ones I’ve worn out.

If you enjoy music as much as I do and feel a special connection with the songs you listen to, then you already know about music soothing the soul and can understand why I was surprised and excited to find a $15 iTunes gift card in my Christmas stocking.  Now I’m on the hunt for even more new music and I’m hoping once again to find music to soothe my soul.

I’m certainly open for recommendations, so feel free to send them my way!

FUZZYSHOT

If you’re wondering, what in the world is a fuzzy shot, I can promise you I’m not talking about a mixed drink.  FUZZYSHOT is…”really easy mobile photo blogging” and the newest way for me to express myself.

It’s a blog that people can visit, just like they do this blog, but it’s also a way for me to have fun using another medium other than words.  This blog will be all about pictures and I hope they will bring a smile to people’s faces.

If you’d like to visit my new photo blog then follow this FUZZY link and you’ll be able to see all the photos I’ve posted to date.  If you have your own iPhone, then maybe you’ll be inspired to download the FUZZYSHOT application and sign up for your very own FUZZYSHOT blog.  If you do, send me a link so I can check out your photos.