Lots of new exciting things are happening for me here in 2010!!
Heres what happening!


THE NEW CD IS HERE!
First of all my new cd "One Step Closer" is finally complete and will be out here in February. This is a collection of songs that have been written over the past 5 years and recorded over the past three. This is definitely the most exciting project I have done musically and these songs are incredible. One of my favorites is the one I have done with Corey B. called "Sunset". You can check this one out on Youtube. I will be announcing the big CD release party soon and it will be available through Amazon, I-tunes and tons of other music venues including Best Buy, Target and Borders. Check out my website at Kevinearnst.com to read more about the CD and hear the music.

CAREER CHANGE
Ya strange but true. I have taken a new turn presently in what will be keeping me busy on a regular basis. I have been involved in worship ministry and in the "church scene" for over 12 years full time and most of the rest of my life a very busy volunteer. However I recently decided to pursue another area of my life that I have always been excited about and that is working with youth. I know a
lot of you know my passion for that population and may have been a part of that at one time even. So starting in December I began to look for a way to get more involved in that area and see what God had in store. In a very short time God blessed me with an awesome opportunity at the Arizona's Children Association. There I will be working with youth and teens from a clinical approach and out in the community meeting those needs on a daily basis. You can check out more about the organization at www.arizonaschildren.org . Its pretty amazing stuff. I have always loved the work I have been involved in even tho it can be very draining, stressful and time consuming but I'm thoroughly excited about this new opportunity.

It will definitely be a different kind of transition for me but have also found it so far to be extremely rejuvenating if you will. It's always cool to see what God has in mind for you next. (one of the songs called "More" on the new cd is my present theme song and explains that whole process of following God even when it doesn't make sense. Check out the lyrics sometime) I grew up in the church, been involved in church all my life and have worked as a volunteer and employee in 3 of the nations largest Christian Churches and it has been an honor. At the same time it has also been the cause of some of the greatest stress and frustrations I have ever had. ( who would have thought that could happen working in a church??!! jk but its true.) So with that in mind I know this will be a great time for change and using other gifts I have been blessed with. (I actually have a masters degree in counseling and had a license to practice for three years in Michigan.... I know, scarey.) I will continue to do music however and volunteer as needed in whatever place I find myself as well as write, perform and sing. Music has been and always will be a huge part of my life.

One thing I have tried to keep in mind, remember in my own personal life over the years and have taught to others, is that being a worship leader on the weekend and being a worshiper during the week is two different things. To be honest there have been many times when the second part has been lacking. I try daily to work on that but do feel I need more time to do focus on that just as much as anyone. I have talked with many people about the spiritual battle we face everyday especially in the role of a worship pastor/leader. I don’t know if you know this or not but as worship leaders we are on the front lines of the battle and face great opposition every day in more powerful ways than any other ministry. The book I wrote, "Sinking Deeper" focuses a lot on these kinds of things. Although written about four years ago I keep finding myself lately going back and reading it to remind myself of those scripture verses included, the encouragement and spiritual guidance I needed and wrote about over the years in this role. I want to encourage everyone to think about these things and find ways to continue your spiritual growth daily... even when we don’t feel we have time or think we are already "spiritual giants". We all have a lot more to learn. I know I do.

So even tho I am not employed as a worship leader, I still consider myself one as it's a lifestyle we all need to practice and role model. Through my life, my music and my writing that I will continue to do I hope to accomplish just that. Even in my new role at Arizona's children I know I will be given new opportunities to "minister" to people and reach out to them in new amazing ways firsthand. It will be great to actually worship now on a daily basis in a whole new way!!

Please pray for this transition and the new CD. I am very excited to get this out finally and hear your thoughts on these new songs!!!!!

Thanks everyone and remember that everyday no matter what new twists and turns come our way, we are "One Step Closer" to an eternity in heaven!!

Kevin

Random thoughts of Thanksgiving and Christmas
The boys and I were in San Diego for Thanksgiving and spent a couple days at the beach. 70 degree weather and a great time... only to come back to Flagstaff a day later and see the first snowfall here. It was about two inches and so we went out for a snowball fight. Beach one day, snowball fights the next.. hard to believe. Believe it or not its December already as you can tell by the freezing chill in the air and the snow that is still around a week later.

My neighbor across the street seems to have decorated every square foot of his house. The boys and I went out and strung up our icycle lights as well as decorated all the pine trees out front. Check out these pics......

Just to let you know if you havent watched The Christmas carol movie this season on the big screen done by Disney you have to go see this. I saw it in San Diego in 3D and then here back in Flag. I absolutely loved this version. Very creative, mysterious and by the end of the movie I thought I was going to be a changed man too. Jim Carey actually did an amazing job and still stuck to the story. The expressions and dynamics of this movie really pull you in and make you think you have heard the story for the first time!! Make sure you see it. Just know that if you have kids its a bit scarey. The commercials make it to be very comical but it is actually kind of creepy and believe it or not I got the chills a few times watching it. (theres nothing like a creepy Christmas movie!)

If you want funny you just need to re-watch the Christmas vacation movie. I watched that again the other night after several years and laughed hysterically.

What I really have been enjoying this season is new Christmas music. I have always been a Jim Brickman fan and have been listening to his Christmas tunes on the piano cd for weeks. Very amazing stuff. New Christmas music out there tho that I absolutely love is Chris Tomlin's Glory in the Highest and the Sting Chritmas CD- available at Starbucks .
The choir did some awesomeo work last weekend with some Christmas songs that I still have running through my head. I will be posting those on youtube soon. But my all time fav so far is
Corey and I my arrangement of the great Christmas song "One Small Child". We wrote a modern acoustic version of it and will be debuting it on Christmas Eve for all four services. That version will also will soon be available on Youtube.com .
Its crazy that Christmas is actually a week away and I am learning new songs even as I type for our services. Im very excited about this weekend and Christmas eve! Hope to see you all there!!

Sedona Hike
(vacation time around the corner!!)
The weather is finally getting more summer like here so last Monday we went hiking down in Sedona along the creek that flows through Sliding Rock. It was a beautiful day. Here are just a couple pictures from our hike on the creek. Below those pics are Ethan and his buddy Michel enjoying a few exciting moments in a parked Miata. Gotta love it! My vacation time is starting tomorrow and I hope to get more pictures & videos of all we do up on here!! Come back and check it out!

Ethan & My Biking Adventure

Today Ethan and I went on a great bike ride through the urban trail system trails here in Flag. We conquered about 8 miles and discovered a lot of great new scenic parts of town. Above are pics I took along the way on my new Kodak video/pic camera. Check them out and also the video below. If you live in Flag you have to check out the trails!!

Bobby & Kate get Married!
Just got back from a great time in Michigan where I had the honor of doing the wedding of Bobby and Kate. Congrats guys! It was great to hang out with you both and catch up last week!! I hope you are having a great time and enjoy your new life together.

Its Here!!! 5 years in the making and now you can get your own copy at.....
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.booksamillion.com
order at your local bookstore or through me directly
Contact me via www.kevinearnst.com
(read the blog below for a complete list of endorsements!!)

Hey, the book is being printed and will be available in two weeks!!! Check out these nook endorsements from some of those who have read it already from all across the country.............

Deeper challenged me to worship God steadfastly, even when everything is NOT ok. In a culture where worship is in danger of becoming a cliché, Deeper calls us to genuine worship that doesn’t depend on our circumstances.

Barry Blair – Music producer, Grammy Nominee, Dove Award winner (Audio Adrenaline, Bleach, Addison Road) Nashville,TN

"Sinking Deeper is an honest look into the life of a Christ-follower who passionately wants to worship Jesus, especially during the storms of life. Kevin takes us far beyond the boundaries of worship just being defined by music, to worship in which we pursue the character of Christ."

Andy Frank, Worship Pastor- Christ Church of the Valley, Peoria, AZ

"In his book Sinking Deeper, Kevin humbly reminds the reader what true Worship is: a continual desire to be in the presence of a Living and Loving God. Whether your life is sailing through crystal calm waters or is being thrown about by stormy waves, Kevin shares personally and biblically that the only way to truly find peace is by Sinking Deeper. I highly encourage you to read this book. "

Garrick Whited, Producer - KLove Radio Network , Sacramento, CA

“I have known Kevin Earnst as a talented songwriter and gifted musician for several years now. But with his first book, Sinking Deeper: The Art of Worship While Drowning, Kevin shows himself to be a great storyteller as well. From the intriguing title to the honest personal stories, this book drew me in and pulled me on to keep reading. Most of all, Deeper draws me deeper as a worshiper and a follower of Jesus. This book is transparent, humorous and real. I highly recommend it. “

Dr. Ken Read, Professor of Music , Cincinnati Christian University, Cincinnati, OH

“Kevin’s conversational approach blended with his understanding of Scripture makes this book accessible and practical. Be encouraged and strengthened by his writings.”

Justin Miller- Worship Pastor at First Christian Church, Napa, CA

“From the heart of a great songwriter, Sinking Deeper is a personal testimony full of encouragement and timeless truths. Honest, funny and convincing, Kevin challenges me to be a more faithful, passionate worshipper.”

Mike Frazier, Worship Pastor, Savannah Christian Church, Savannah , GA

"This book explodes the concept of worship out of the church building and into the course of everyday life.... a life that is often messy and complicated yet full of potential when God is in the midst. Kevin brings you face to face with the critical need for a deeper lifestyle of worship in order to not only survive but thrive through any situation by God's grace. His practical thoughts, relevant stories, powerful portions of the Psalms and challenging questions will allow you to sink deeper in hope and joy as a result of the amazing power of worship! A great resource for personal growth, small group study and even a sermon series!

Andy Hansen, Executive Director of C. I.Y. (Christ in Youth) Joplin, MO

Kevin’s book Sinking Deeper: The Art of Worship While Drowning is a refreshingly honest; truly helpful; and at times humorous read for those who want to and/or need to spend time with the Lord. This book can be especially a great help to those who experience times that are fearful. It has examples from scripture of how the patriarchs overcame in severe trials and uses contemporary examples to illustrate important spiritual points. An important concept which is presented in Sinking Deeper is that “worship is a relationship with God”. This is not a popular notion and many who shouldn’t miss this – unfortunately miss this. This book is full of faith and encourages faith in God. Sinking Deeper is an expression of how truly big God is.

Rufus Harris, President-Red Letter Records, pastor-The Bridge Church, Pontiac, MI

"In the tradition of men like Job, Elijah, Jonah, and David, Kevin Earnst wrestles with the eternal question, "Why do God's people suffer?" He writes with Passion about a topic that is relevant to hurting believers: how to praise God in the midst of pain. The image of "worship while drowning" is extremely pertinent to those in difficult situations and offers much relief, comfort, encouragement and hope to those who read this book."

Dr. Les Hardin, Associate Professor of New Testament at Florida Christian College, Kissimee, FL