Boochie Shepherd

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Have you ever been moved by someone else’s passion?

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Shaun Groves. I found out about his concert, ironically, when he commented on my blog. Kind of weird circumstances, but very much a God thing, methinks. Not only was Shaun’s concert amazing (he’s funny on top of being a fantastic musician), but his passion stirred me like no other Christian musician I have ever seen.

Shaun Groves is an advocate of Compassion International. It turns out this guy has really made some noble sacrifices to do everything he can to support this organization. I highly recommend that you check them out. I don’t get any kind of compensation for saying this; it’s just a genuinely worthy cause.

I say all of that to say this: be passionate. Whatever it is that God has reserved you for, be passionate about it.

If you are a Christian musician, sing and play with passion.

If you are blessed with the talent of encouragement, do it with passion.

If you are a great speaker, do it with passion.

You see, passionate people make a difference in this world. The Christians of the first century were so passionate that they were willing to die in order to let others know about forgiveness and unconditional love and a Savior. Their passion has changed my life and, if you’re reading this, probably yours, too.

As a Christian musician, you have a responsibility to be passionate about what you are doing. You are placed in front of an audience every night (or however often you play); you have a platform to speak beautiful things and to feed the spiritually hungry. Don’t ruin that influence by being afraid to be passionate about the way you play, talk, and perform.

I pray that my music, whether on my own or with Boochie Shepherd, and performances will inspire people in the same way that Shaun inspired me last night.

Thanks, Shaun. And God bless you.

brandon mc

6-11-07
3:04 AM

Right now we are just on the other side of Shreveport, LA. We’ve decided to drive straight through the night rather than stay on the road somewhere. That means that I’ll be able to see my family tomorrow rather than having to wait for another day. I’m so excited to grab up my little baby boy and squeeze him and tell him to never stop dreaming. And I can’t wait to kiss my wife and tell her how I know that God made her just for me and that God made me just for her. I love them, and I’m ready to go home.

We played an awesome venue tonight called Club Refined in Dallas, TX. It was incredible. The people there were so kind and they treated us like family. It was such a blessing to all of us. I know that I am genuinely a better person for having spent time with these people. Junior, Brad, Toby, and everybody else that made out stay there… thank you. We love you.

We had the opportunity to share the stage with Nevertheless. They were phenomenal. Maybe one of the tightest bands I’ve ever heard. And also one of the most God-fearing bunch of individuals I’ve ever been around. Thanks so much to you fellas for making us feel like we were just as important as you. That’s rare and special from artists on your level. I got to hear one of my favorite songs “The Real.” They played it with so much energy and passion. And I got to have a really cool fan moment with the band. The lead singer’s acoustic guitar lost its output for some reason, and so he asked to borrow my guitar. That’s right… my guitar has been played in concert by Nevertheless. I am so giddy about that. I’m such a dork!

We also had a cool interview with Matt Mungle at Spin 180. He drove out to the venue and set up his equipment and we all locked ourselves in this tiny little room and had the best time. Jeff definitely left his mark. If you wanna hear that interview, head over to Spin 180 and check it out. It should be up in the next couple of weeks.

The Captain is still driving for now, but I’ll soon be taking the reigns. We just passed a sign that says we’re 77 miles from Monroe, LA. That’s a long way, but we’re already a mile closer…

I love all of you so much. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. To know that we have those of you out there that believe in us and our message, and maybe on an even bigger level, our methods is a confidence booster like no other. We have really put our faith in God that he can make this work for us. That’s a scary thing sometimes, but it’s also one of the most exhilarating feelings to know that your faith can see farther than your eyes can. Denton said something tonight that I thought was incredible. We were talking earlier about whether or not we had made the right decision to chase this dream of playing music. Denton said, “It’s never wrong to make a decision based on faith. It may not work out like you expected, but it’s never the wrong decision to trust God.” He’s so right. It’s never wrong to believe that God can completely provide for us. Keep praying for us.

Keller and Lindsey… I’ll be home soon.

brandon mc