Less than two years ago my dad died.   It was a rough time for me.  Doug, our drummer, half jokingly once asked me if it helped me to write worship songs.  Sadly my answer was no.  I was at a spiritually dry place and our Church was going through major transition.  I wrote several songs during that time but I don’t think one of the saw the light of day.  They didn’t fit for corporate worship and many of them were just, well, bad.

When we joined several friends in planting City Life Church here in Wichita, there was a lot of risk but there was also support and growth.  I also become even closer to a few awesome worship leaders in town, Andy Williamson and Steve Brummer.  Awesome dudes to have as worship leaders!  Right around the time we launched I wrote a new song called “Prodigal.”  A few months later I wrote one of my favorite original songs, “Victory Anthem.”   This was my equivalent to a renaissance.

Last week I wrote a new song called “You Weep with Us.”   This song is very personal and hard to share with people.  I had become convinced it was a song for maybe me, my wife and God only.  It is a lament.  It is a song through the struggle.  It contains doubt.  Is doubt welcome in a worship gathering?  I think so but wasn’t sure I wanted to be the one who championed it.  Even though the Psalms are full of doubt and a bold David who questions his Lord.

I threw it in front of some people I trust and it was well received and I have decided to unveil it this Sunday.   Corinthians speaks to God only giving us what we can handle and while this verse is in relation to Sin, I do believe at times as a parent of a rough infant we are tempted to curse or just leave our kid to cry for extended periods of time.  (Sin!)

So this song is about doubting God when he trusts us with so much hurt, struggle and pain.  I ultimately turn the page within the song toward God’s empathetic heart.  The Holy God of the Universe has endured more suffering than we could ever know.  He also bears with us as we experience the casualties of a broken world.   I believe this song is a song of hope but is transparent through the tension.

I ultimately decided to share it with the Church.  Our Church is healthy but there is a reoccurring theme of suffering and loss within the confines of our people.  To keep this song as private feels selfish.  So here it is.  I reserve the right make some more changes before we hit the studio at the end of June but it has already gone through quite a transformation.

You Weep with us.

God, You give what we can take, At times it seems too much.
It feels as though You’ve made an error, trusting souls with so much pain

We don’t doubt you love Your kids but how Your soul can bear,
our suffering, exquisite pain and feelings of despair.

*I love our Savior, Who died upon the hill.
Oh empathetic God you bear and feel the pain we feel.

Jesus Christ, dear Son of God, We thank You for Your tears.
Infection, death and grieving kin, You hold us in our fears.

Your Pain, Your pain is ours.
Our Pain, Our Pain is Yours. (2x)

I hope our new song is an encouragement to you and not just a downer! 

-Dale

Under an overturned sofa and covered in pillows we prayed silently and aloud.  Our infant son was screaming and our three-year-old daughter wanted out of our fortress.  She wasn’t buying the camp out illusion we tried to paint for her.  As we watched the radar and the red circles work their way toward our street I looked at my family and told them I loved them.  I told my wife I loved her and the past 8 years had been amazing.  The weatherman mentioned our cross street and the power went out.

Our battery-powered lantern cast an eerie glow over our basement and our daughter screamed for release from my grip.  She wanted to go upstairs.  She didn’t understand.  Within a few minutes the hail was beating on our roof, sprinkling down the chimney.   Then silence…
More silence…
Ashley and I looked at each other and braced ourselves and our children.   The next noise was unmistakable.  Many people describe it as a freight train sound.  I am not sure if it sounded like that to us but we knew exactly what it was.   Yes, it was very loud.   An EF3, wedge tornado was ripping through our street.

After a few minutes of huddled silence our friends called and told us the tornado had moved on to the northeast.  My phone suddenly blew up with messages of people who had heard our street mentioned on TV and the radio.

That night I went out around our neighborhood looking for anyone who might need my help.  Our street was abuzz with fear, excitement and confusion.  Many of the trees on our conjoined street were down including some of my favorite pear trees, which look like they are bursting with popcorn when signaling the start of spring.  Further down the street was an office park.  The trees there were worse.  Gas stations, apartments and grocery stores were also hit.  All the power lines surrounding our neighborhood were down.  Twisted metal signs looked strewn about.  The metal carport covers for the apartment complex were all over, sometimes wrapped up into a ball.  I saw a lawn chair in the street.

Somehow our house was fine.  We had a couple limbs down in our backyard and our daughter’s trike was in the same place we left it.

So what do I take away from all this?  Well, for one, God’s power and strength are beyond comprehension.  When the Holy Spirit came upon the Church in Acts It came like a “rushing wind.”  I wonder what it sounded like?  Would even the sound of the Holy Spirit drive men to their knees like the tornado had to us?   One day when I meet the Lord, I wonder if his voice will resonate like an EF4 tornado.  Probably and His breath will smell minty fresh.
Also it seems the Tornado skipped around Wichita and somehow no one died.  A trailer park was decimated and no one died.  Several aircraft companies suffered severe losses but how fortunate the storm was on a Saturday.  Many were praying for the safety of Wichita and for that I am grateful.  However, at the same time I hope if there were a different outcome we would praise God still.  If my house had been destroyed I hope I would praise God.  If I died, I hope people would praise God. I know God has me here for a purpose.   Maybe He has me here only to learn or maybe he has me here to teach.   Either way I see God’s Church stepping up in light of this tornado and I am excited for the outcome.  He will be praised in our lives no matter what the circumstance.

“My prayer is that our son will reflect God’s glory.  That is a scary prayer when we see a man in the Bible, born blind so as to bring glory to the Lord.”

Yesterday we learned that our son FX, has a syndrome called Williams.  FX has struggled since he was conceived.  He has struggled to grow, struggled with hernias, colic, eating, constipation, eye sight, heart issues and many other maladies that make most parents cringe.   He will also grow up to have some physical side effects of William’s but we also learned about other amazing things about this “disease.”

If he is like most other with William’s he will have many blessings as well.  He has gorgeous “starry eyes.”  He will treat no one like a stranger but more likely will love everyone he comes in contact with.  FX will have a beautiful ear to ear smile.    He will be highly verbal relative to his cognitive skills.  He will be affectionate.

One of the most amazing things about William’s disease is that FX will probably love music.  I have seen video’s of soprano’s with William’s syndrome who can memorize 2,000 arias without reading music!  I have seen drummers going off on crazy solos!  They actually recommend that you get your kids around as much music as possible.  They recommend lesson’s as well.  God has wisely put FX in the perfect family.  That’s like asking a fish to be around water.  He will always be around music.  He will always have something to dance to.  Our son will reflect God’s glory and that gives us great joy.  How fun to take him on tours.

So when people ask  how they could pray for us, I answer,  pray for us to get sleep and him not to be in pain.  I will not ask God to take this syndrome away.  God has created my son to be a blessing to the world.  Today I was singing to him and he began to make sounds as if he were almost already singing back.

I can’t wait to make this album.   I hope FX will be there for a lot of it, unless he’s crying and then he can go home!

PS- Thanks for the comments, although it’s kinda weird for you to say I am selfish but you are entitled to your opinion.   This post is not meant to be divisive but to encourage those who are going through struggles.   I am not saying I want my son to be in pain.  I actually mention that in the post.  Please pray for him to be comfortable.  But I am also saying he may be uniquely gifted by God to be the man God desires him to be.   What one may call a “disease” or “syndrome” others might call it a blessing. 

It’s also interesting to think of the idea of how disease can be a “good” thing.  My dad came to Jesus through his Parkinson’s disease and while he is no longer with us, I wouldn’t trade his presence for his salvation.  Sometimes hard things are good things.  I am thankful to God our redeemer for redeeming disease for His glory.  Amen.

-Dale

dale@slsworship.com

SLS, The Genesis:

My journey to Atlanta and this conference began probably about 8 years ago when Shine Like Stars began in Irvine, California.  I had a vision of a touring worship band committed to a home Church, which wrote songs to be used in the Church all over America.  However, I have sent our CD to about ten record labels and the only one that responded was Six Step Records who sent back a very nice letter saying they don’t have time to listen to random CD’s but they will pray for me.  D’oh.

10 states and 3 tours later I’m tired.  I’m tired of trying to book tours in my own power.  I’m tired of the 200 calls and emails that lead to one gig…sometimes.  I’m tired of worrying about the tour all year long.  I’m tired.

This year the plan was to go through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  More on that later…

Frederick:

On December 2^nd our son was born three weeks early.  He was induced because he was failing to grow well in utero.  Complicated by some heart concerns we induced and had a beautiful  5 pound 3 ounce boy.  I wept like a child at his birth.  I also almost barfed.

Since then our prayer has been that his life would bring glory to God.  Also since then he has struggled to eat and has had various ailments including three surgeries and four stints in the hospital.  I would not trade our son for the world but at times wish he could just be healthy.  He may have significant metabolic disorders as well as other problems with his heart, brain, eyes and esophagus.  Or he could end up okay.  Frederick (or FX) has become a new concern for me as we try to book our tour.  Would he do okay for weeks on the road?  What if he were still sick and we were far from his doctors?  A seed began to grow in my mind that God might not want us to go on this tour.

Surfing:
For the longest time I wanted to be a great surfer.  I am clumsy, scared of the ocean and not particularly graceful but I worked really hard at surfing.  Whenever I went surfing with friends I would often hope they saw me do something cool, even to the point where I would often, annoyingly, ask them if they saw me do tricks.  Often they would say no, so as to shut me up.  (They saw)   With music I didn’t ever really care how well people thought I could sing or play guitar.  Not that I didn’t take many, many lessons, but it was never work for me.  It was a God given talent and I really felt like I couldn’t take credit for it.  So I took it for granted.  Ironically I entered in Surf contests to show how great I could be without God’s natural talent.  I had moxie, dangit!  I didn’t need talent!  I was fourth once in a dinky amateur contest and it was one of the greatest honors I ever received.  Funny how I wouldn’t accept God’s blessing on something.  I preferred to show what I could do on my own, without Him.  Whoopie!  Check me out.  Fourth place! Beat that, God.  What a moron.

The tour part one:
So here I am trying to book another tour and I have a sick son and very little interest from Churches so far.  My wife has questioned out loud the timing of our tour with our son’s illness.  Doug’s new son will arrive a few months before the tour as well.  God, what are you trying to say?  Should I try harder to book this tour?

The new CD:
Lately God has been giving me new songs in abundance, like those little mailers that fall out of your magazines.   Jeez those things are annoying.  It seems every time you turn a page you learn you can save 50% off the newsstand price of Newsweek.  By page six you get it.  Lately every time I turn a page in life or our Church focuses on a new subject another stack of original songs fall into my lap.  You’ll never hear most of them, but the best end up in our congregation and will be on the next CD.

Our Church and our wonderful lead Pastor, Casey Casamento are inspiring me to write and I really am just inspired most of the time.  Lyrics, guitar parts and little melodies are falling out of my brain like a leaky faucet.  Leak is an underwhelming term here.  They are GUSHING out of my head.  But with my limited time, I need to do my job, take care of my family and book a tour.   It would make sense for me to get us in the studio ASAP so people can hear what I believe may be the greatest musical work of my life but I need to conserve time and cash for the tour.  This tour is the only way we will get our music out.  This tour is a way I can earn it without God.  I will use my work ethic to make it happen. It’s gonna happen.  It’s gonna happen.  It’s gonna happen.

(tears) It has to happen…

The conference part 2:
So last Sunday night and I receive a call from a friend who believes in and supports our music.  He says he wants me to go to the “Lift” conference in Atlanta Georgia, IN FIVE DAYS!  He says his wife will help take care of our son and my family.  He says he is buying me a flight, a hotel room, food, the conference ticket and cab fare.  I can’t go, I say.  My wife is too burdened.  Her response:  “You better go.”  God wanted me there.  We figured he wanted me to meet the big wigs in the Christian music industry who were going to be there.  My friend said to take 20 CD’s and give them to said big wigs.  I figured if the conference was about 200 I could probably swing it.  Um, there were around 2000 people there.  No way to get in front of a big wig.  No way to catch Chris Tomlin in the hall and casually bring up how awesome I am.  No way to corner David Crowder at the buffet and shove headphones on his huge melon.  No way to walk up the stairs with Louie Giglio and transition in conversation from the weather to why they should sign us.

I decided to still network anyway and ended up becoming friends with Chris, a new worship leader at a Church of 60.  Chris is an awesome man of God and I felt blessed getting to know him as he  picked me up at my hotel, took me to the first Chic Fil A and dropped me off at the airport.   A mover and a shaker, though, he was not.  He would not get my name out.  Shine Like Stars will not break it big from his help.  But he prayed over me and my family.  The conference was  a great encouragement sitting next to such a cool guy as I wept through most worship songs and prayed on behalf of my beautiful son.  I must have been a gross snotty mess. Ugh.

Food allergies:
As lunch time approached today, I knew I would have to make the two mile walk to chic fil if I wanted to eat.  I had talked to some intern via email the day before about my food allergy.   The sandwiches offered would get me super sick if I ate them.  As I began to walk to the Chic Fil A it was flipping cold and I began to have second thoughts.  As I reached the edge of the block I received an email.  It was the intern guy saying they had Mexican food for me.  I went back to the Passion Church building and asked for him by name.  “Do you know him?” They asked?  “He is very busy.”  I responded in the affirmative.  They sent me to someone else at the help desk.  “Do you know him?”  They asked? “He is very busy, he is in basically in charge of the whole conference.”  Whaaaaaat?  Yeah, not an intern.  Out he came and walked me to the restricted area to eat with the sound crew.  He asked me lots of questions and had another dude assisting him.  He served me food.  Brought me drinks. Oh and did I mention he is a large part of Six Step records?  Remember, the label, which sent me the nice letter?  Yeah, them.  He continued to serve me.  Bro, you are super important.  I am a lame underling, go away already.  You have more important things to think about.  However, he stuck around.  He talked to me he served me.  I had already decided that morning I was done trying to make it happen anymore for my music.  What the heck? I kept waiting for him to leave me with an an actually intern.  Instead he offered me fruit from the fruit plate.  He asked me about my Church, my home.  He served me.  Okay God, I get it.  I handed him two CD’s and asked him to listen to them.  He was gracious.  Whether he will or not is inconsequential.  God was flexing His muscle.  See what I can do Dale?  See what I can do?  I AM!  Do you not think I can get your music out there?

The Tour part two:
As far as I can see on this foggy boat ride, called life, I see this tour off.  We will still gig some this Summer for sure.  We will play Riverfest and anything else God calls us to.  I will not stop networking at appropriate times, but I am done trying to make it happen.  I am done trying to be God.  He is God, if he would like to promote us, he will.  If we are meant to only be the worship band for City Life Church, so be it.  I love our Church and see it as an amazing blessing to be a part of.  We have the most incredible staff anywhere.
 

Conclusion:

We (Shine Like Stars) are going to make a record.  It feels like this is God’s timing.   Also this is not us saying we give up, only we are regrouping and rethinking. The guys have requested time off from work for tour so their schedules should be wide open for us to record for about a week.  I would like to record in Kansas at a studio nearby.  I have a studio in mind but will wait to reveal it until we have booked it.  Doug, our drummer, will be able to spend more time with his newborn son and ours will be in town near the hospital and his doctors.  My son, FX is more important than any tour ever…ever.

SLS Revelations:
I hope this doesn’t come across as a confession of mediocrity.  I believe Shine Like Stars to be a unique, gifted and anointed worship band.  I believe we sound like no one else.  My punk/emo inspired background mixed with incredible musicians and worshippers from very different backgrounds sounds like a winner to me.  My theology and songwriting skills have been refined by constant mentoring by people much smarter and more talented than myself.  Our style is like no other worship band and honestly, when by myself, I blast our music in my car.  It’s good.  I think if a record company took a chance on us it would pay dividends a hundred fold with those who seek something a little different.  If that sounds braggy, well.  Yeah, I am bragging a bit.  Moving on…

Ca$h…Or the CD part 2:
We don’t fully have enough money to make this record and produce it as well as duplicate it.  I am undecided if I should go to donors and ask for money.  I have had a few people offer help in the past.  I may ask if they would still like to help, but other than that, I will leave the finances up to God.  If you would like to donate a NON-tax-deductible gift to Shine Like Stars you can send it to us and we would love you for it.  Maybe we will send you something in return, but probably not.

You could also bless us by sharing this on your twitter or Facebook wall or printing it out and giving it to others who might want to help us financially or through prayer.  I have no expectations; only that God will make this CD happen his way, not mine.  I believe this record will be one of the greatest things I have ever made and if that is true, God will bless it in a way I can’t foresee.

Post-script-

Two more ways God is showing me he can do great things with my music, (if He wanted to) lately.  A friend recently called this week saying he may have a connection with a talent scout out of New York this week.   I may never meet with him, but this is further confirmation of what God can do if He so chose.   Finally before I finished writing this very blog I met a man waiting to get on the plane.  He is a pastor at a Church in Hutchinson, KS.  He is a friend of acclaimed worship leader, Charlie Hall.  He was talking with him TODAY.  He was asking me about our Church and the band.   He said he would pass on my information to Charlie Hall.  Seriously God?  Have I said that yet?  Seriously?

My dad always taught me to work harder at things than anyone else.  Especially things I am not talented at, like baseball, surfing or booking a tour.  However, my Father in heaven has been trying to wrest my music away from me for years.  I just didn’t know it.  I’ve held it tightly in my fist like a child gripping a toy they prefer not share.  My hands have been callused, scuffed and bloody holding on to my music and my pride.  Slowly, through this weekend, my scarred hands have opened.  God here is my music.  Do with it what you will.  I am done trying to do it myself.  I cannot any longer.  I have sinned against You.  I have not trusted You.  Lord, if you would have me sink further into obscurity, so be it.  If you would take my music across the world, I know it won’t be of my doing.

I lift my empty hands to you.  My offering is nothing.  My offering is my weakness and brokenness.  Your will be done.  Your name will be glorified.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords we exalt YOU and not ourselves.
AMEN,

-Dale Huntington
Shine Like Stars

dale@slsworship.com

I’m working on a remix of Not Only In A Song that may end up as the ‘promo track’ for the album. I’ve got a few other songs on tap for remixing and possibly trying to include a few other artists along with us. We’ll see what happens.

In the mean time, here ya goes.

Lately a few of us in the band have been bummed about our weight.  I (Dale) for one really can’t fit several of my jeans and shirts and was recently at my top weight I have ever been in my lifetime.  Ashley just delivered our second child and wanted to get back on track.  It was at this point that I realized we needed to do something.  So Shine Like Stars is participating in a “Biggest Loser” contest.  We believe God made our bodies to be respected and for the next several months up till June we are going to get back into good habits.

It’s funny how we as the Church can condemn the smoker for not taking care of their body and then someone can shove down 8 donuts without anyone saying a word.

Seriously, I can down bowls and bowls of chips and queso and no matter how bad it is for me, nobody thinks to challenge me to more.

This is our Before Picture

So for the next several weeks Shine Like Stars is participating in a weight loss challenge. (See before picture above)  The top three “losers” for each week will be posted along with the top 3 overall  “losers.”  This is a percentage thing but at the end of this I would love to tell you how many pounds we’ve collectively lost.

This is meant to be fun and hopefully you guys can help cheer us on.  Maybe we can carry our good habits into our Summer tour?  Maybe…well, it could happen!  We hope this June we can tell you our band is full of losers!  Wait…um…is that right?

Oh to embrace our son for the first time. I will soon.

Amen and Amen,

-Dale

Our Happy Christmas Photo shoot.

I have found myself staying up late spamming my friends trying to get them to “like” our video then fretting as we began to fall behind and eventually into last place.  I had been so focused on that one big break  I had forgotten why we do what we do.

I set out to start “Shine Like Stars” in 2004 because I felt a strong call on my life to write songs for God’s Church.  I thought I could give voice to the yearnings of the worshipper’s heart.  I thought I could teach theology.  I thought I could help people worship God in a new song.   Sometimes I lose my way and find myself with a secular mindset.  Surely God has created me as an ambitious, driven musician and He can use that for good.  However, when it becomes more about my  own glory I must pause and reevaluate.

One of our friends, Nate,  in the competing band, Of The Rescue recently has had some very serious health concerns..  Wow.  What was I thinking?  When I should have been praying for Nate I was fretting over votes.  Also, we are having to monitor my unborn child every week for some possibly worrisome complications and I care about a concert?

God caught hold of my heart, through scripture and a gentle prodding from the Holy Spirit.  It also helped that my friend, Matt from Of the Rescue actually voted for our band as well.  Talk about convicting!

When it comes down to it, if God wants our band to go further, He can do it.  If not, we can continue to bless our home Church and  tour until he says no more.
Please pray our main focus always stays on our Lord so we can continue to serve Him and fulfill our purpose as a worship band.

thanks,

-Dale

PS- Congrats to Of the Rescue, Bayless and Break the Fall for doing an awesome job! Way to go guys.

Just wanted you all to know some awesome tidbits about our Christmas EP: “Happy Christmas.”

#1. Suzuki of Wichita is underwriting the project.  They are paying for the costs so we can do something really awesome with it.  They are an amazing business and a great support to our music.  Check them out for parts, service, new cars and used cars.  You will love their people and prices.

#2. HALF the proceeds of the physical sales are going to the “Walking in the reign” ministry in Balan, Haiti.
This is one of the poorest cities in the Western Hemisphere! How awesome that God could use us for this cause.

#3. They are only $4 each so you can buy a bunch for stocking stuffers as well as gifts.

#4. We are doing a special concert on December 2nd for our CD release @ Mead’s corner.   You will not want to miss this.  Let’s just say it will be unique.