Phillip and Jaci

Hey guys - Lots of stuff going on lately so I’m sorry we haven’t given any updates!

Sales are going pretty OK considering we’re just now in the full swing of the holidays! We are stunned by the number of repeat purchases people are making to give the CD’s away as gifts. Very very cool!  If you would like to buy some for yourself we are going to be sending out a special in the next few days to give everyone a chance to order before the holidays are over. If you want to be included on the email - drop us a line at info@phillipandjaci.com

If you want to buy one they are available at The Source Bookstore at Christ Fellowship Royal Palm and through our website - www.phillipandjaci.com - but order before December 18th to make sure you have them by Christmas Day!!

~P&J

Don't worry - there are 10 tracks; I just don't even have them all yet on my iPod!

With the launch of our first CD later this week - Jaci and I are thrilled at the response we’ve already been receiving. People have called us and written emails to us about how excited they are - some are even forming “street teams” and are starting their own guerilla marketing campaigns on our behalf!!!!

We’re probably most excited to announce that our CD shipment is ahead of schedule - even though we’ve been consistently behind schedule for most of the project!! I got notification today that they will arrive Wednesday morning, November 19th; presales should ship the same day. If you are lucky enough to see us at a choir practice etc. that Wednesday you JUST MIGHT get your hands on an ADVANCE copy

Remember that presales have free shipping on ALL sales until release day - Thursday, November 20th!

We are very very excited to announce that presales begin today for our new Christmas album - “Lord at Thy Birth”… it has been such a labor of love for us over the last 6 weeks to record this album and we’re so excited that it is finally becoming a reality!

Presales are on a special with free shipping - the actual release date is November 20th. Go check it out here:

www.phillipandjaci.com

I’ve been reading a little bit more than usual lately; not just the Word - but lots of books. I’ve decided to take on the biggest read of my life - Anathem, by Neal Stephenson - but I haven’t truly committed enough time to get into that book just.

Today I picked up a book I had bought about 2 months ago and just never really was able to get into - Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell. I have to admit I’m not a Rob Bell fan: I sincerely dislike his writing style. But something just jumped off the page at me partway into Chapter 2 which was listing basic tenets of our Christian theology:

I’m convinced that being generous is a better way to live.

I’m convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live.

I’m convinced having compassion is a better way to live.

I just had to blog quickly and say that is something we all should cling to - that Christianity isn’t merely about “irrational or primitive blind faith“, as Bell puts it, but it’s about Jesus teaching us the best possible way to live - just as He already has done before us.

Ahhhh - where to begin? We have quite the ostentatious deadline set for November 7th handoff to Discmakers and we have very little accomplished at the moment. We’ve spent the last 3 weeks choosing songs, arrangements, gathering ideas and information … but it just feels like we have so much more to do!

We did, however, get some pictures done with Jessica Lorren Photography who did a splendid job at making us look like über-rock-stars… now the hard part — actually getting some recording done!

1 Samuel 8

6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

Well here we are, just weeks away from the 2008 Election Day. If you are like me you’ve been following the race closely and — also like me — you’re probably sick of it and you just want it to be over with already! This is a campaign that has been going on for nearly 2 years and it’s nice to know that the end is in sight!

I was thinking and praying just the other day and I was reminded of a quote by TD Jakes (author, pastor) in which he was asked in a public interview which candidate he supported. I was stunned by his answer - that we should not vote for a candidate based on their religious affiliation - but rather on their qualifications and ability to lead this nation.

He said he wouldn’t want to choose a surgeon based solely on whether that surgeon believes in God; but he would like to make an informed decision that considered a number of issues: how many malpractice suits has he been involved in? How long has he been practicing? Where was his degree obtained?  He summed it all up in one phrase which resonated with me: we’re not electing a Pastor-in-Chief; we’re electing a commander-in-chief.

You know, it was never God’s intention for Israel to be governed by a single person. God was their King and spoke through His prophets and judges concerning the direction of the nation. The nation was governed by the highest authority in both Heaven and on Earth — God Himself!

But we, mankind, in our fallen state, have a propensity to distance ourself from God and His desires for us. And as we see here, in Samuel’s old age Israel asked for a king; an earthly man that they could put their trust in and rely upon — someone physical to attach glory (or blame) to.  We carry on this tradition today!

I want to encourage everyone that regardless of who our Earthly king may be — God has a desire to be the king over our lives and hearts. It is His desire that we place all of our trust and hope in Him and only Him. It is so easy to be swayed by the tide of public opinion and media coverage; but let us remember that God places His trust in no man — God is neither Democrat nor Republican; Libertarian or of the Green Party… rather He is the Maker of all that has been made. And it is He who we should turn to for answers, direction, and provision.

John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

So, Phil and I have been diligently sticking to a weight loss plan which is never the most fun thing in all the universe, but it is necessary.  We all get a little squidgy around the edges every now and then, so we must take action!

At work, we decide on a place to dine for lunch, we order it and one of us goes and picks it up.  Yesterday was my day.  So, in my continuing weight loss efforts, I ordered the half sandwich, half salad deal from Panera Bread.. avoiding the creamy, thick Broccoli Cheese soup!

I walked in the door, greeted by the sweet smell of buttery pastries! I inhaled the environment and sighed reminded that I was about to eat something that didn’t taste remotely as good as the air smelled! But yet, I endured all the way to the register.  As the lady was collecting my order from the To-Go area, another (evil) lady walked out of the bakery carrying a humongous tray of hot, steaming (yes, I think I saw steam) cinnamon buns!!!  The To-Go lady returned with my salad and asked the question of the day: “Will that be all?”

Of course! On the day I order a salad, this temptation arises! Argh! I kindly replied: “That’ll be all,” paid and left in a hurry.  On the short drive back to the office, I was reminded just how sneaky and destructive Satan is and how he is on a mission to destroy us.  I think he leaves us alone in our complacent state and then the second our eyes are opened and we begin to make a change a turn towards God, he strikes with  the perfectly designed temptation for our current struggle.

So how are we to survive? How do we tackle these big trays of fresh, hot cinnamon buns?

Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

We lean on Him.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Lord, may it be our prayer that we follow Your every lead and resist the enemy at every temptation. Lord, may we lean on You for Your strength is sufficient and Your mercies are new every morning.

Let’s all buckle down the next time that tray of fresh, hot cinnamon buns consumes all of our senses! Let us be vigilant and  confident in Christ and His redeeming power!

~JACI

918 nasty calories died today...

I never thought I’d see the day when I would burn >900 calories in just one workout. I mean; I used to loathe physical exertion of any kind whatsoever! But now I’m really going after it; Check this photo out for proof. wow.

I’m also at my all-time-low weight-wise. That’s a lot of hyphens. But seriously - 204.5lbs this morning is something to be extremely proud of; especially when you look back at 254lbs!!

You heard it right here, folks! We are in the process of recording a Christmas CD. I can hear the questions forming in your heads already:

• Will it feature both Jaci and Phillip?
• Will ‘My Everything, My All‘ be on the album?

And, for those of you wondering, the answer to both questions is, in fact, yes. We have gone back and forth on how we would survive the fury of enraged people to whom we promised we would release a recording of ‘My Everything, My All‘; only to put out a CD of any sort without it on there… and suddenly came to the conclusion that Jesus is everything we need in all seasons - so why not include it?!

Our track list is being revised daily - we plan to have at least 10 songs; mostly traditionals - and one or two originals. We are so excited! We want your feedback on what you think!

Oh, we’re all guilty of them, those proverbial OMG’s and LOL’s in our online chit-chats and Facebook threads!!! The question is, are we understanding the full impact of these linguistic fig leaves or do we just fall off the cliff with the other lemmings?!?

I was recently caught red-handed, felt humiliated, got mad, then got over it and realized…. MOM IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!! (Ok, almost always) So, in my humiliation, a few scriptures came to mind. (I just love when the Lord takes Mom’s side!!!)

1 Thessalonians 5:22
Avoid every kind of evil.

In another translation is says to avoid even the APPEARANCE of evil! Well, there you go folks!!! I was stumped and had no reply, which is hard for me, since I do like to put in my 2 cents! Who can argue with the Word of God? Surely not I!

Another thing to consider is our audience. We often don’t even realize how greatly we can affect those around us as we go about our daily duties. Being involved in a wonderful church family and singing in the choir, I have discovered that people I may have never met will recognize me in the mall, at the supermarket and yes, even the local pizza joint! It is a still bit jolting every time someone greets me saying “Hey, don’t you sing at my church?” Not that I have anything to hide, it just reminds me that as worship leaders we have been given such a great opportunity to influence people to Christ-like living. I would never want that to be compromised for a silly little lyrical lapse on Plurk.com!!!

Of course, I’m not banishing the safe LOL’s, ROFL’s and TTYL’s, I am simply “avoiding the appearance of evil” and not using those which represent (or have in the past represented) a curse word. As we all know, when someone uses the acronym WTF, the reader is NOT thinking “Wow That’s Fantastic!” How foolish we would be!

I’m sure I’ve made you nervous now, therefore, I do wish to bring to your attention some of the safe acronyms to use online:

LOL = Laughing Out Loud

ROFL = Rolling On The Floor Laughing

BBQ = Delicious Chicken and/or Ribs

L8R = Later

TTYL = Talk To You Later

FTW = For The Win (when you triumph over someone at a game leaving them totally and utterly defeated)

FTL = For The Lose or For The Loss (when you are the one that was defeated triumphantly)

RG = Reaction Getter??? Note: This is not a recognized acronym in any circle of the World Wide Web….Mom!

There is also Leet Speak, which you’ll have to ask Phillip about…cuz he’s teh 1337 h4ck3r!!! But that’s a whole other language and a whole other blog!!!

Proverbs 16:17
The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life.

Let us take the ‘highway’ and maybe we can pull some other lemmings to safety on our journey.

~JACI