Changes.

Well, I haven’t written a blog on here in a long time. This needs to change. Guess I will start now...

A lot has changed in my world since July of last year. I have traveled to new places, celebrated many holidays (including my 26th birthday), spent time with family and old friends, made lots of new friends and most recently paid my taxes. In a nutshell, that pretty much sums up the last 9ish months of my life (without the boring details). I feel better now that we are all caught up. Time gets away from us and its 2011 before you know it.

I wanted to write a blog to share some news with the 3 people that will actually read this. (Once again, hey mom and dad and random person to whose interest in this blog is much appreciated.) As many of you know, I play music for a living. I travel the world and get to see some amazing things. In the last 4 1/2 years with the band DecembeRadio, I have been to almost every state in the US, been to Europe, walked across Abbey Road, gone to the Baseball Hall of Fame, went to the Dove Awards and got to go on stage when we won, met some of my musical heroes, toured with some amazing artists, and have met some inspiring people. I have also been able to hear incredible stories of hope, restoration, and love from fans, promoters, and other artists. All this to say, the last couple of years of my life have been truly unforgettable. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to travel with. I’m encouraged to see what God is doing in DecembeRadio and to see what will happen next for them in their journey.

After a lot of prayer and confirmation, I feel that it is my time to take the next step on my journey. When I began praying, I asked God to show me the next step, not the big picture. It’s like walking through a dark hallway with a candle and the only thing you can see is the next step in front of you. I want that. I want the kind of faith that can trust in God for every step. So as I prayed, I felt peace knowing that no matter what was ahead of me, my faith rested in Him and not on my own strength.

My prayer through this whole thing was that God would work something out to where I couldn’t take credit for any of it. I wanted whatever that next step was to be something that would point all things away from me and toward Him. So here is the news.

As of April 18th, I will be joining the band NEEDTOBREATHE as their touring keyboardist. I am a huge fan of their music and have been for a long time so needless to say I am very excited about this opportunity! We will be opening for Taylor Swift on the North American leg of her 2011 World Tour.

To all the fans of DR, I just wanted to say thanks so much for the support and love you have shown to me over the last 4 1/2 years. Although I was never an official member of the band and my face was never on the cd or poster you bought, you made me feel special and a part of an amazing thing. Keep encouraging the DR train as it continues on its journey. There are big things in sight and you won’t want to miss a second...

To DR. You guys are some of the most talented people I have ever met. Thanks for letting me be a part of this machine for so long. You’ve made me a better player and a better man (no pun intended). I love each of you as brothers and want the best for you as you continue to seek out God’s will for you as individuals and as a band. I’m so grateful for all your support in this decision.

So that’s the news. Feels good to get it off my chest! The next step is ahead of me and I’m walking forward in faith because I know who holds tomorrow. I covet your prayers as I make this transition. And if you are around, come see NEEDTOBREATHE this year. It’s going to be an amazing time with some great guys, and some great rock and roll.

Love you all,

Josh L.