FredMcKinnon.Com

Hey Gang,

I need your help.  We are updating our website demographics for our advertisers and have a quick survey.  This helps us establish our audience, reach, and gives important information for our advertisers.

We’ll be giving away $100 in iTunes Gift Cards so please take the survey!  Also, all responses are strictly confidential.  You are not required to enter your name (unless you want to be in the iTunes giveaway).

Would you take the survey and consider RT (retweeting) this, sharing the link on Facebook or your blog?
Thanks a ton!

They say misery loves company.  Since it’s 1:00 AM, and I’m not asleep, and I really WANT to be asleep, I figure I’ll share some of the misery with everyone else.

If you’ve followed my blog (and as a result my life!) for very long you are somewhat familiar with my varying bouts of sleeplessness.  When I’ve got a lot on my mind I can’t sleep so well.  Well, I’ve had lots on my mind.  That, coupled with a reversion of epic proportions to poor diet and virtually no exercise … well, ’nuff said.

A couple of days ago I posted about this book I’m reading (re-reading) called “The Exemplary Husband“.  It’s a thick book and it’s not just stories or guides … it’s a massive dose of Bible study.

Since it became apparent that I wasn’t going to sleep I finally got out of bed and slipped into the living room and resumed my reading in this book.  Now … I’m typing away, eager to share the misery … the misery of TRUTH when it STINGS you.

Let me share a few quotes with you.  You’ll see what I mean:

“Our relationship with Christ will always affect our horizontal relationships with one another.”

“Letting someone’s strong points and demonstrations of love (no matter how small or how few they may be) fade into the background of whatever negative qualities there may be breaks the command of God to be thankful at all times.”

“Looking and waiting for another’s growth, time, care, or attention is always a bad idea.  We must not live in expectation or put conditions on our love and care for others.  Our focus is to be on loving God and others for God’s glory, not on having personal desires met.”

I was going to title this blog “A Late Night Butt-Kickin” but the adventurer in me must have stayed in bed.  I’m curious to know if those quotes do any butt-kickin’ to anyone besides me? And ladies – just because this book is called “The Exemplary Husband” doesn’t mean those quotes don’t apply to you.  They apply to anyone who has relationships … which is EVERYONE.

So what do you think about when reading those quotes?

Hey Everyone!

I’d like to help spread the word about a great retreat that is happening with my friends at AllAboutWorship.Com.  The “AllAboutWorship Retreat” is happening in Overland Park, KS on May 19-21, 2011.

I was honored to help lead and speak at last year’s retreat.  It was the first time that AAW co-hosts, Wisdom Moon and Ben Abu Saada held this retreat and it was incredible.

This year’s guests include Sarah Reeves, Brenton Brown, and Pocket Full of Rocks.  You can count on some great times of refreshing and encouragement.

For more information, click the banner or visit www.worshipretreat.org

There are some items in my digital toolbox that are qualified as “must haves”.  You know – the kind where you get a new hard drive or computer and after booting it up, this is one of the first things you install?

“Evernote” is one of those tools for me.  I use it to take notes during sermons, keep up with tasks, ideas, Bible Study thoughts, and blog ideas.  That’s fairly typical usage but I’ve surprised quite a few people when I tell them that Evernote is one of my primary tools in songwriting.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve had a song idea pass through my mind.  Usually, those ideas can leave my mind about as quickly as they came in!  That’s where Evernote comes in handy.

Because Evernote is installed on ALL of my Mac computers and on my Android-based Motorola DroidX phone, I have a digital “notebook” at my disposal all the time.  Since the notes sync automatically, my ideas are always available.

Case in point:

Village Creek Landing, St. Simons Island GA

The other day I was sitting in one of my favorite “solitude spots”.  (aka “Village Creek Landing” on St. Simons Island, GA).  I was reading in Titus and was inspired by the text.  I immediately had a catchy “hook” in my mind … “Glorious Grace Appear”.

Keep in mind, I’m sitting in my 1996 Ford Explorer with the windows down and moon roof open – soaking in the morning sun – studying the Word, praying, and meditating on what I’m reading.  I’m not in the studio.  I don’t have a moleskin handy (OK, I don’t OWN a moleskin) and I don’t think there is a pen in my truck at all.

I pick up my phone, launch the Evernote App, open my “Song Ideas” folder and tap “new note”.  Jot down the Scripture reference, a few phrases, and save the note.

Then, the most powerful feature yet – the voice memo!  I’ve lost more hooks than I’ve kept, so I edit the note, click the voice memo button, and start singing away.

Now I have my idea captured so that I can revisit it while in the studio or at the piano.

Here’s a peek at my “Songs” notebook in Evernote:

So, that’s my songwriting usage of Evernote.  You’ve seen a glimpse into my vault … and now, I’ve got to discipline myself to take these ideas to the next level – actually writing the song!

UPDATE:
The night before this blog entry was scheduled to be published, I had an interesting twitter exchange with one of my favorite bloggers, Michael Hyatt.  He’d just had a blog post about Evernote featured.  I replied and told him about my pending article and others chimed in about their Evernote usage.  So check out their articles as well!

Michael Hyatt:  “A Better Filing System for Public Speakers and Writers”
David Santistevan:  “Use Evernote To Help You Write Songs”

Disclaimer:  Yeah, this is a ROUGH recording.  (There, I said it).

Yesterday I had the privilege of sharing a song that I wrote with Mandy Thompson called “You Save”.  It’s the 3rd time we’ve done this song at SSCC and it’s received an incredible response each time, which is humbling.

Below is a video of the song as performed at our church yesterday (Sunday, Feb 20th, 2011).  I cringe every time I hear myself and part of me would NEVER release something this “raw” that hasn’t been mixed or edited.  “It always sounds better in the room”, right?

I’m not trying to impress anyone so I don’t mind sharing it with all it’s rawness.  I actually stumbled on the words several times.  I’m sharing this because so many have asked for it, so here ya go!  If you’d like to do this song in your church, go for it.  It’s registered with CCLI.

Download Lyrics/Chords

You Save

Verse 1
Darkness famine trials temptations
Sorrow anger lies frustrations
Where O where are You God
I feel a million miles away yet I know You are near
Are You listening do You even hear
Where O where are You God

Chorus 1
Where O where does my help come from
I cry out into the night

Verse 2
Lusts of the flesh and the greed in my heart
Selfish desires to be set apart
Where O where are You God
Has my sin hidden me for all eternity
Will You rescue will You still help me
Where O where are You God

(BRIDGE)
Your arm is not too short to save
Your reach goes deeper than the grave
When I am crying to You
You save You save
My help comes from the Lord above
Maker of Heaven and of earth
Your watching over me and run
To save to save
To save to save
You save You save

CCLI Song No. 5771659
© 2010 HPP Publishing Company | HPP Music (Admin. by Highest Praise Productions, Inc.) | (Admin. by Highest Praise Productions, Inc.)
Fred F. McKinnon | Mandy Thompson
CCLI License No. 2312439