Just a quick one here... Where We Are And Where We Long To Be is now available through everyone's favorite music store, iTunes. Just do a search for "Rick Hopkins" in the iTunes store, or click this link here... http://www.itunes.com/rickhopkins. Keep in mind you can also get it for free from NoiseTrade at http://www.noisetrade.com/rickhopkins. Hope you're all enjoying it.
I am hoping to start lining up some shows again so if you want me to come play where you are contact me through my contact page... http://rickhopkins.com/contact/. Alright. Later.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Joy
I read a lot of CS Lewis books. Most of the time I will read them a couple times just because they are thick and I struggle to wrap my stupid head around what he is trying to say. Lately I have been reading the book "Surprised By Joy" which is basically a kind of auto biography. In it he gives his own definition of the word "joy"... and I think its awesome. Here is what he says...
"... it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again. Apart from that, and considered only in its quality, it might almost equally well be called a particular kind of unhappiness or grief. But then it is a kind we want. I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is."
He goes on to describe experiences where he experienced real Joy and it was taken from him very quickly leaving him wanting it more than anything. These experiences would in some way give him a glimpse at the eternal and he wanted it. He saw for an instant that there was more out there, that there was something calling out to him that made him feel complete.
If I apply that definition of Joy to my life, then by golly, I am the most joyous person in the world. It seems that lately I have had an all encompassing desire for that fulfillment, that completion. I feel like my name is being screamed out, and I am unable to see who is doing the screaming. I know who it is, but I can't see Him and its killing me. Those moments of Joy come to me like someone with a knife stabbing me over and over.
When I play with my kids and witness their complete innocence and the joy they have at just spending time with their father. Stab...
When my wife, my bride, reminds me of why I love her with her gentle spirit calming me after a day of stress, tension, and depression. Stab...
When I am able to get up in front of people to sing and play the songs I was given to sing, and do what I feel made to do. Stab...
When I am able to get together with my parents and sisters and all their husbands and kids, my cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles and whoever else, and just spend time laughing and enjoying each others company. Stab...
When I am hanging out with friends drinking beer and eating way too much food and just enjoying the conversation, cracking jokes, and feeling absolutely no stress. Stab...
When I step outside at night and just look up to star gaze and watch the night sky slowly rotate around us here on this tiny planet. The immensity of it all. Stab...
I think the one that hurts the most is when I come home from work and inevitably my little girl Grace, and sometimes my boys as well, will greet me at the door and scream "DADDY!!!" then give me a great big hug. It just makes me ache all over. I wish all the time we had together could be as happy as that moment. It only lasts a second, but it reflects eternity.
I guess I say all this because lately I just feel defeated. I have absolutely no self control. I am the most out of shape I have ever been, I am just as angry as ever, still struggle with depression, still just feel like a complete loser of a dad and husband in general. Joy is killing me. Those few moments I get that bring that Joy, that ache, are severe and they seem to accentuate my brokenness and need. But God please don't let the moments of Joy stop. What would I do without those to remind me that there is Someone there calling my name? Those moments make me want to be a better person. They make me want to be the person that God designed me to be. To live the life that Jesus came and lived and prescribed for me to live.
Joy, in this sense, leads to my hope. Hope leads me to faith. Faith leads me to God. God leads me home to where all Joy is made complete.
"... it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again. Apart from that, and considered only in its quality, it might almost equally well be called a particular kind of unhappiness or grief. But then it is a kind we want. I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is."
He goes on to describe experiences where he experienced real Joy and it was taken from him very quickly leaving him wanting it more than anything. These experiences would in some way give him a glimpse at the eternal and he wanted it. He saw for an instant that there was more out there, that there was something calling out to him that made him feel complete.
If I apply that definition of Joy to my life, then by golly, I am the most joyous person in the world. It seems that lately I have had an all encompassing desire for that fulfillment, that completion. I feel like my name is being screamed out, and I am unable to see who is doing the screaming. I know who it is, but I can't see Him and its killing me. Those moments of Joy come to me like someone with a knife stabbing me over and over.
When I play with my kids and witness their complete innocence and the joy they have at just spending time with their father. Stab...
When my wife, my bride, reminds me of why I love her with her gentle spirit calming me after a day of stress, tension, and depression. Stab...
When I am able to get up in front of people to sing and play the songs I was given to sing, and do what I feel made to do. Stab...
When I am able to get together with my parents and sisters and all their husbands and kids, my cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles and whoever else, and just spend time laughing and enjoying each others company. Stab...
When I am hanging out with friends drinking beer and eating way too much food and just enjoying the conversation, cracking jokes, and feeling absolutely no stress. Stab...
When I step outside at night and just look up to star gaze and watch the night sky slowly rotate around us here on this tiny planet. The immensity of it all. Stab...
I think the one that hurts the most is when I come home from work and inevitably my little girl Grace, and sometimes my boys as well, will greet me at the door and scream "DADDY!!!" then give me a great big hug. It just makes me ache all over. I wish all the time we had together could be as happy as that moment. It only lasts a second, but it reflects eternity.
I guess I say all this because lately I just feel defeated. I have absolutely no self control. I am the most out of shape I have ever been, I am just as angry as ever, still struggle with depression, still just feel like a complete loser of a dad and husband in general. Joy is killing me. Those few moments I get that bring that Joy, that ache, are severe and they seem to accentuate my brokenness and need. But God please don't let the moments of Joy stop. What would I do without those to remind me that there is Someone there calling my name? Those moments make me want to be a better person. They make me want to be the person that God designed me to be. To live the life that Jesus came and lived and prescribed for me to live.
Joy, in this sense, leads to my hope. Hope leads me to faith. Faith leads me to God. God leads me home to where all Joy is made complete.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Sweet Deal...
Hey there guys, quick note. You can now get my entire new album for free by telling some friends, or you can pay me whatever you want. Pretty sweet deal. This is provided by a website that I have loved for quite a while called NoiseTrade. NoiseTrade was created by Derek Webb (who is one of my favorite musicians ever) and some of his buddies. You can click here and get to my noisetrade widget. I have am also going to be adding it to my site here pretty quick. Probably in the right pane area somewhere. Enjoy!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
WWAAWWLTB Is Here!!!
(WWAAWWLTB = Where We Are And Where We Long To Be.)
Alright, so finally I can say that the cd is in my hands all packaged and pretty and ready the holiday season! It came in on Thursday so if you pre-ordered it my wife and I have been working to get those all sent out and you should be receiving them shortly. If you would like to purchase it you can do so by coming to my site, rolling over the image of the new cd on the right side and clicking purchase. The price is $10 now and will take you through a paypal checkout process. It's very simple and in no time flat you'll have your very own copy of my latest work.
I gotta say thank you to everyone who gave me money to get it done. The final product weighed in at about $1900 and conveniently enough I brought in about $1900 in gifts and pre-orders to pay for it. The wife and I didn't have to put up much of our own money to pay for the cd which is great because we have very little extra money floating around these days.
I also gotta say thanks to Andy Ferris for the many hours he put into mixing and perfecting the sound, and to JJ Clark, Mark Lago, Mitch Mallard, and Kristen Lambert for adding some instrumentation to it. You guys are awesome!
So right now the cd is available through my site, and through Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI. However I am trying to find some way to get it distributed so that it will be available in more places. Also within a few weeks it should be available on iTunes. You can actually already get to my songs from Still Frame on iTunes by clicking the iTunes link on the right side of my site.
So if you know anyone, or are someone who can help me with distribution, I would greatly appreciate anything you have to offer. I am pretty small time right now and not a whole lot of people have heard of me or my music. My goal really is just that the music would be heard by lots of people and that it would hopefully minister to them in some way. Whether I am making lots of money or not, while it would be nice, is not that important in the big scheme of things. God had provided for all my needs and given me some amazing opportunities to be used by Him to accomplish what He wants, and thats all I really care about right now. I just want to be used by Him to do what He wants me to.
So there we go. New cd. Out now. Hope you like it.
Alright, so finally I can say that the cd is in my hands all packaged and pretty and ready the holiday season! It came in on Thursday so if you pre-ordered it my wife and I have been working to get those all sent out and you should be receiving them shortly. If you would like to purchase it you can do so by coming to my site, rolling over the image of the new cd on the right side and clicking purchase. The price is $10 now and will take you through a paypal checkout process. It's very simple and in no time flat you'll have your very own copy of my latest work.
I gotta say thank you to everyone who gave me money to get it done. The final product weighed in at about $1900 and conveniently enough I brought in about $1900 in gifts and pre-orders to pay for it. The wife and I didn't have to put up much of our own money to pay for the cd which is great because we have very little extra money floating around these days.
I also gotta say thanks to Andy Ferris for the many hours he put into mixing and perfecting the sound, and to JJ Clark, Mark Lago, Mitch Mallard, and Kristen Lambert for adding some instrumentation to it. You guys are awesome!
So right now the cd is available through my site, and through Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI. However I am trying to find some way to get it distributed so that it will be available in more places. Also within a few weeks it should be available on iTunes. You can actually already get to my songs from Still Frame on iTunes by clicking the iTunes link on the right side of my site.
So if you know anyone, or are someone who can help me with distribution, I would greatly appreciate anything you have to offer. I am pretty small time right now and not a whole lot of people have heard of me or my music. My goal really is just that the music would be heard by lots of people and that it would hopefully minister to them in some way. Whether I am making lots of money or not, while it would be nice, is not that important in the big scheme of things. God had provided for all my needs and given me some amazing opportunities to be used by Him to accomplish what He wants, and thats all I really care about right now. I just want to be used by Him to do what He wants me to.
So there we go. New cd. Out now. Hope you like it.
Monday, December 1, 2008
It's Almost Here...
The new cd is in duplication and will be available very soon. I went through a company called Oasis CD for the duplication. Their website is telling me I should have it in hand around December 12! I am super pumped to get it out to all of you that want it and have pre-ordered it (thank for that by the way, you helped pay for its completion :). In the meantime, I have uploaded all the songs to my site so that you can listen to them. If you rollover top of the new album image you should see a link to listen and it will load all the new songs. Take a listen and let me know what you think. The album is also still available for pre-order which allows you to get it for $5. Pretty cheap right? Once the album is out the price goes up to $10 so get it cheap while you can.
...And for all you blog readers, the few, the proud... or maybe not so proud, I promise to blog again soon. I am one of those types where I can only write about stuff when I feel I have something to say... so... yeah, nothing to say right now :) Hope you all enjoy the new songs.
...And for all you blog readers, the few, the proud... or maybe not so proud, I promise to blog again soon. I am one of those types where I can only write about stuff when I feel I have something to say... so... yeah, nothing to say right now :) Hope you all enjoy the new songs.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Rick Hopkins + iTunes = It's About Time
I finally have managed to get my first cd "Still Frame" on the iTunes store. It only took me 2 years. So get there and check it out just click the iTunes link on the right side, or click here. All this just in time for the holiday shopping season. Now hopefully the new cd is done shortly and you can purchase that as well...
Quick Update
I feel like I am leaving you all in the dark. The new cd is getting very near completion. We are working on final mixing right now, and will hopefully be sending it off for mastering very shortly. After that is off to duplication, which is looking like about a 16 day turn around. So I am guessing the cd will be available early on in December. Not quite as soon as I would like, but hopefully you will all think its worth the wait once you hear it.
There are about 5 tracks that I haven't uploaded to the site yet. Two of those are new songs entitled "Sleeper" and "Gate Called Beautiful". I think musically and lyrically these 2 songs have come together to be my favorites. I can't wait for you guys to hear them.
Also, I need to thank about 50 - 60 of Ada Bible Church's finest Studio attenders. They came up last Sunday and chipped in on finishing our recording of Lord Most High. Now I have an actual congregation singing along with me in the song. It sounds awesome, and they sang their throats out. It was a great time and I hope to get that new version posted up here pretty soon. Virb, my music host, is having some problems lately so we'll see how that goes.
God has been very good to me with this album. He has provided me with the financial means to get it done, he has called the best musicians I have ever played with to play along side me, and he has given me all of you. You continually send me emails of encouragement, prayer and support. I can't thank you all enough. I don't know if this cd will go anywhere past you, but I hope there is at least something in it that will speak to you. I'll keep you all posted on the process being made...
There are about 5 tracks that I haven't uploaded to the site yet. Two of those are new songs entitled "Sleeper" and "Gate Called Beautiful". I think musically and lyrically these 2 songs have come together to be my favorites. I can't wait for you guys to hear them.
Also, I need to thank about 50 - 60 of Ada Bible Church's finest Studio attenders. They came up last Sunday and chipped in on finishing our recording of Lord Most High. Now I have an actual congregation singing along with me in the song. It sounds awesome, and they sang their throats out. It was a great time and I hope to get that new version posted up here pretty soon. Virb, my music host, is having some problems lately so we'll see how that goes.
God has been very good to me with this album. He has provided me with the financial means to get it done, he has called the best musicians I have ever played with to play along side me, and he has given me all of you. You continually send me emails of encouragement, prayer and support. I can't thank you all enough. I don't know if this cd will go anywhere past you, but I hope there is at least something in it that will speak to you. I'll keep you all posted on the process being made...
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