Tuesday, May 31, 2011

#SongsForJoplin


That's right, the #Hashtag is intentional!

In light of the tornado in Joplin, Mo just over a week ago, a number of artists have compiled tracks for an album to help raise support, awareness, and relief for the city and those in need.

Artists include: Derek Webb, Don & Lori Chaffer (Waterdeep), Sarah Swenson, Oilboom, Controlled Fires, myself, and many more...

I'm excited to begin promotion for the cause #SongsForJoplin. We should have it up and ready in the next 24-48 hours, so stay tuned!

Peace,
Ross

Saturday, May 28, 2011

This Is Not Brainwash...



Too good not to post!
-Ross

Friday, May 27, 2011

Apology

I apologize for the sporadic-ness of my posts lately! I have been uber-busy lately with new projects and responsibilities, getting the CD Release show planned and prepped, and wrapping up my Spring seminary semester. All that combined to create one HECTIC May!

BUT ALAS...

The end is in sight. The concert is on June 3rd...the semester ends on June 10th...and Kate and I just booked a vacation!

Once June 11 is here, I promise more regularity. Until then, enjoy the randomness...

Peace,
Ross

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

It's Official...



Enjoy & help spread the word!

Peace,
Ross

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Music for Joplin


For the next week, I'm donating 100% of all albums sold to the Red Cross in Joplin. Help out our fellow brothers and sisters and get some FREE music...


CLICK HERE to buy the album and make your donation towards the clean up and recovery efforts today!

Peace,
Ross

Monday, May 23, 2011

We'll See You There...



Peace,
Ross

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Inseparability of Mission. [PART 1]


This video is a great launching pad from which we might begin the dialogue...



Peace,
Ross

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

You Don't Have to Re-invent the Wheel...


Are you an artist, a business, a church, an organization constantly scratching your head trying to figure out the best way to capitalize on what people (your community) want, need, and desire?

You might spend countless hours doing your homework, brainstorming, and creating just the right slogan, method, song, or campaign to speak their language, and connect.

But are you using your resources?
Are you capitalizing on amazing technology and tools that are already right at your finger tip?

Consider this...

Search LOCAL FAVORITES & LOCAL POPULARITY on Amazon.com and you'll instantly know what's on the minds of your community. This information will tell you what interests they have. If you're trying to break into a new market, do the same. Look at reviews and understand the language of the community and utilize it!

Do the same with Pandora, Netflix, etc.

It's all there.

So take a deep breath and relax...you don't have to re-invent the wheel!

Peace,
Ross

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Inseperability of Mission.


I'm going to be writing a series of posts on the concept of mission.

I believe that as a member of humanity, we cannot be separated from mission. I believe mission is occurring all around us, has been occurring since creation began, and is the inevitable consequence of time and creation.

We can however be unaware as well as participatory-antagonists to the mission; to restoration and shalom.

But we are ALL players!

Check in, and chime in with your thoughts...

Peace,
Ross

Sunday, May 15, 2011

"Come to Daddy's Concert"



I hope to see you there too!

Peace,
Ross

Saturday, May 14, 2011

She Decided.


Last night Cora decided that next year she'll take showers.
That's all.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Peace,
Ross

Friday, May 13, 2011

Friday the 13th = Love Wins [continued]

As we continue the Love Wins dialogue, here's a great (civil & educated) debate between Rob Bell and Adrian Warnock. I've only posted a short clip, but you can watch the entire debate HERE.



Much love & peace,
Ross

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Past.Present.Future

There's a tendency to always want things the way they were, "back in the good ole' days." Its the way we are with music, movies, decor/clothing styles, the way(s) we worship, the cars we drive, the politics of the day, etc.

Or maybe you want things preserved as they are right now in the present. My 2 little girls are healthy, innocent, and cute, but are growing up very fast right before my eyes.

Cora got a "big-girl" bike yesterday (w/ training wheels), and already is tooling around the neighborhood. I'm not ready for that! I'm not ready for kindergarten, crushes, college, and weddings. But that's quickly approaching...



Thus, my preservation ideals set in and I do everything in my power to keep things "as is." But alas, the future is inevitable. (and I'm just not that powerful)

The future is amazingly liberating, as well as scary. It is the unknown, the un-chartered, the paradoxical. There's hope in the future. Its a clean slate.

But the future lacks original 90's music, John Hughes comedies, the best SNL cast, my little girlies riding bikes and learning to talk.

So what do we do?

Soak up today.
Remember and give thanks for yesterday.
And be hopeful and legendary tomorrow!

The future is already here, so it might as well be embraced and dream(t)!

Peace,
Ross

Sunday, May 8, 2011

our weekend in pics...

This weekend was another GREAT one! We celebrated mothers. And the rain finally let up enough to go out and enjoy some time outside. So here's what I have to show for it...






Peace,
Ross

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Cinco de Mayo

Feliz Navidad everybody!

-Ross

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Outsourcing God - book excerpt #19

Here's another excerpt from my upcoming book, Outsourcing God. Enjoy!


© 2010 Ross Christopher Donaldson.

I’ve since learned that surrounding myself with passionate people and giving them freedom to take chances (win or lose) is the way to truly lead. One specific area that excels in this arena is our creative planning and brainstorm process. This is the team of people that are passionate about communicating vision, mission, and making a difference through art and beauty. But the group is also intentionally composed of individuals that are first, second, and third time visitors.

What I soon learned was the more I could tap the mind of our un-churched and dis-churched community, the more accurate questions we could ask, the closer our language resembled the community’s, and the more authentic we were. Not to mention, there is immediate buy-in when you’re on the creation side of things.

And in one afternoon huddled around dry erase boards and empty pizza boxes, I know without a doubt that this amazing network of people are asking and addressing the questions that are on the minds of our un-churched and dis-churched community.


Peace,
Ross

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Taking my sound in a new direction...

After seeing this, I'm inspired and working to transform my music to what it needs to become...

(stick it out for the whole video...it gets pretty intense around 1:45)



Peace,
Ross

Monday, May 2, 2011

Love Wins - a response to the death of OBL


Last night as I hovered over my iPhone, receiving tweet after tweet in anticipation of Obama's speech, it became apparent that the military had killed Osama Bin Laden. The responses were varied, but the majority were overly celebratory. After Obama's speech the floodgates opened. Apparently fireworks went off as groups gathered across the country to celebrate the death.

The tweets were joyous. You'd think everyone's home team had just won the World Series. Rather, we were a nation celebrating death. And though the death was of a vile man, an evil man, a man that brought about death and destruction, he was still a man - made in God's image; and a man worth Christ dying on a tree.

I understand everyone will not agree with me. And my intent isn't to persuade you of your reaction(s) or stance(s), rather its just to voice where I am at in all of this.

In my opinion, a Christ follower's response on death is initial sadness, because I believe that God is the giver of life. And life is good.

The notion that America brought about God's will and justice seems a bit presumptuous to me as well. Assuming God did want OBL dead, couldn't God have willed OBL to catch pneumonia or fall into a crevasse and die? Why involve the Navy SEALS? Are we assuming that God's will and America's will are the same? Is God's justice and America's justice the same?

I surely hope not.

I seem to remember scripture warning us of placing our hopes and futures in the hands of governments, militaries, and men.

And if I'm correct, just after that warning, crowds gathered to celebrate the killing of men. (Good Friday was not even 2 weeks ago - I haven't forgotten the story just yet)

So how do we respond?

That's for you to wrestle with.

I will continue to wrestle with you.

My wants and desires are much like the populace. I will surely sleep better knowing a bad guy is gone. Then again, I can tend to be a bad guy from time to time. I'm glad my will is not God's and that my judgement isn't His either.

I'm glad that judgement doesn't define me and my life (today and into the future), but that the grace bought through the cross does. And I believe that the grace of the cross is mystically rooted in a type of unconditional love that we'll never quite understand. Its a type of grace that bought the sins of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Atheists and Polytheists. This type of grace seeks out all and destroys the trappings of sin!

So in the end, does justice win?

Does love win?

Or perhaps, in God's infinite wisdom and "being love" do the 2 intermingle in a way that we cannot fathom?

Discuss...


Peace,
Ross

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Cora's Exchange...


Friday we worked on landscaping the yard ALL DAY. In doing that, the girls played hard outside and I think time slipped by Cora (& her bowels).

Here's the exchange:

CORA: oh, oh, oh....

ME: what?

CORA: oh no, there's a turd in my panties!

ME: (laughing)

CORA: (shaking her head) mommie is NOT gonna be proud...


That's that.
Hope you had a great Saturday!

Peace,
Ross