Okay..  I've never thought of this before, but, how convenient do you think it was for Samuel to climb up on a wall, built around a city most likely to keep people out?  Yeah, I don't think it could have been that easy.  How often do we find any reason at all to get out of doing what God wants us to do?  Well, God told Samuel he...

So two days ago, I found myself on the same stage with the same band I've been with for the past 5 (or so) years, playing pretty much the same songs. Except, this time, something was different.  As I walked around looking at all of the awesome vehicles on the grounds, there was just something wonderful.  I have no idea how to describe i...

Anyone who knows what Helaman 12 is all about is probably wondering how in the world I could label this chapter as "Happiness".  hehe... Yesterday, I was having a very interesting conversation about happiness with a dear friend of mine, and oddly enough, today's chapter was Helaman 12, which of course, talks all about the frailties...

Amazing...  It's almost unbelievable that in the space of less than 13 years, a whole nation can go from being wicked, to almost dying of hunger, to becoming incredibly righteous and prosperous, and then coming back to being so wicked that the combined armies of the Nephites and Lamanites can't defeat the wicked part of the people. I've bee...

So, a few weeks ago, the studio acquired a Jackson electric guitar and didn't really have any experience with it.  So a good friend and client of the studio came in and messed around a bit with it, and using a great dual-mic technique to get the most out of the amp, we managed to get a very, very nice guitar tone out of it. Soon, it will be ...

So, due to the success we've been having with the studio, we were able to upgrade our two in-studio guitars.  We bought a new black Crafter acoustic guitar, which sounds just awesome.  One of the new Herod The Fink tunes will feature the Crafter, and we're excited to get a final mix to see how it sits within the music. We also bought a ...

Amazing.  A couple of chapters ago, I was commenting on the sad state which Nephi found himself in, and the amazing faith he must have had to remain in a state of faithfulness to God, when everyone around him was wicked. I guess that's the way it goes.  God tries us to our breaking point, careful not to give us trials beyond our capabil...

Seems that the testimony of Nephi against the people of Zarahemlah was centered around their disbelief in Christ.  Interesting that, as soon a Satan has control over a people, Christ is the first doctrine which is attacked. Also the story of the finding of the murderer of Seezoram is interesting through the eyes of the foreknowledge of God.&...

Hey Guys, Okay so its been a really really long time since I last wrote anything.  I just recently remembered my password and that is a really big part of my reason for not writing.  I know this is suppose to be like a diary (right or wrong?), but I would perfer to think that its more of a letter to a best friend (hope that don't sound ...

So...  I remember Nephi coming back to his own people and seeing them in a state of wickedness, but I didn't remember that he had just been on a mission where everyone in the land northward rejected his word, too.  That would be an incredible test of faith in an of itself.  Only the most stalwart followers of God, in my view, could t...

Well, right now I have quite a lot on my mind to tell you, so I've got to decide which to tell you first. I guess I'll start yesterday. Yesterday was Codell Bingham Sims' wedding. Let me just tell you that this is the first wedding I've been to that has been thoroughly fun. It was GREAT! The sealing in the Temple was nothing short of amazing....

I actually read this yesterday while I was about ready to fall asleep, so, I didn't write anything.  However, I did make a goal last year to read through the entire Book of Mormon and write about each and every chapter, so here's what I remember about Alma 5. Within the first 3 verses, Alma makes it apparent that he is talking to the people ...

Yesterday, my wife spent some time setting up her "my space page", which I absolutely refuse to do for myself, and when she got it done, she was pretty happy with herself.  I helped her with some images and that was that. Later on in the evening, she mentioned that she had received an email from Annie (my sister-in-law who I love)...

Very interesting that they took the time to tell us that Ammon not only rehearsed what King Benjamin said to the Nephites, but that he then explained it to them that they might understand it.  Not sure why that struck me this time, but it did. (verse 3) According to verse 13, a man who can look into and see (and translate), is a seer.  ...

 Not much to write about on this chapter...  Lots of backbiting, hatred, slaying of kin, destruction of entire civilizations due to war, living in righteousness and prospering because of it.  Poisonous serpents, famine, more death, repentance, and just the general way the people live within the pride cycle. Not a bad chapter, but n...

Okay... It's been awhile since I've typed in here, and LOTS has happened, so... let's get started. First off, I've had a chat with my bishop and I think I'm ready to go back to the Temple. It's been tough, but I think I'm ready to go back. I could chat about that subject for a LONG time, but there's so much to say, I've gotta get it out in lit...

Last week was a week of upgrades! The studio was able to finally get serious (well, at least semi-serious) about the way we look. Previously, the studio "rack" was nothing more than a cut-out backwards bookshelf bought at Walmart, and with all the stuff we were able to upgrade last week, it was finally time to buy a real rack. We...

 I'm not quite sure why I chose the title, "Sunday Miracles", but it seems to suit what happens when one chooses to follow the Spirit.  In any capacity. Nothing too earth-shattering for today, but I felt inspired to come down and write.  I personally believe the Holy Ghost is far more active in our lives (even if we choos...

Three days ago my inlaws arrived here, and the living arrangements were such that Annie, Craig, and their two wonderful children got to bunk up with us here in Springville. I don't want to go into detail as to the exact happenings of this weekend, but I'd find it hard to maintain peace within unless I wrote a bit about something which I could im...

"...and his hand is stretched out still." I love that phrase.  To me, it's just another way of saying, "I will be here for you, no matter what you do or where you go.  I will always be here for you." What a comfort that is, knowing there will always be someone there for you.  I know it is for me, and I've felt...

Ya know...  I thought that with 4.5 hours of sleep last night, I'd feel a heckuva lot sleepier than I do.  I guess miracles do happen. Since our wonderful Samuel was born, my wife and I have been getting considerably less sleep than we otherwise would.  This is to be expected; it comes with the whole package of parenthood. I ha...

So a little more than a year ago, I took my mustang out for the first time on the Salt Flats.  I had a blast out there with my good friend Steve. On the way home, Steve had some problems with salt lining his rims, causing some tire imbalance, so we  got off the freeway, I showed him what the problem was, and as I was getting back on th...

I just got done reading the book "A Man Named Dave", after reading "The Lost Boy", and 6 years ago, "A Child Called It". Ya know...  To a certain extent, I enjoy doing things from time to time, to keep myself grounded.  To keep myself living in a reality close to what is real for everyone else.  I do t...

Growing up, I'd have to say that I was a bit of a pious punk religiously, but I was so due, in large amount, to my being incredibly naive. To demonstrate my naive-ness, I really thought that being emotional was pretty much the same as being spiritual.  Yes...  Believe it.  I was naive. One other bit of heretical doctrine I beli...

A while ago, Advanced Budget Studios had the privilege of working with the author of a great book in a voice-over.  The author's name is Phillip Jones, and his book is called Worlds of the Crystal Moon. When I was contacted to help out with the voice-over, I had no idea what to expect, and I wasn't sure what Phillip was expecting, either.&n...

Since I began using Ardour to record music, (and more music), I've always managed to have the same problem crop up, year after year.  The symptoms of this problem are annoying to say the least. I'm running all my audio through an M-Audio 1010 digital interface and I use envy24control to monitor and adjust the channels via. software.  I ...

Just encountered this list:  Seems like a good list for those of you who are considering Linux as an alternative to Windows. Just a quick FYI....

Just in case you haven't heard the latest about Tiny Boats' debut album release, a good friend of the studio, Matt Mylroie, a music producer in Florida, had these good words to say about The Broken Vessels. A portion is quoted below, where the full review can be found here. "This album is hard to describe, but it is a fantastic blend of ...

Where do I even begin?  Well...  The craziness began on Thursday of last week, so I'll start there. *THURSDAY: Every year, my uncle Cloy and Evelyn Jones have a family reunion intended for their family.  I'm not entirely sure why, but my parent's family has been invited to this reunion for a long time.  Some years we go, som...

The new lamp for my projector arrived today and much rejoicing was heard among the land. Since our lamp burned out 5-8 months ago, we've been using a TV to entertain our kids, providing them with movies and TV cartoons and all the other goodness with which MythTV blesses our lives. With the return of our lamp, I wanted a way to extend the life ...