Christian Artists - Lessons Learned in 2003 and New Year's Resolutions for 2004

That my plans aren't always God's plans. I think we get an idea of how we want things in our lives to play out. It seems like God always has a different plan. Obviously, His ways are much higher than our own. Learning to deny my own ambitions to follow His has been a real test of faith and quite an experience for me this year.

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

The same every year..."PUT THE FORK DOWN MORE!" I am also starting seminary in the spring to learn more about The Word and how to better communicate it to our audience. Most of it will be in correspondence because of the tour, but I resolve to be diligent in my studies and learn as much as I can.

God is teaching me that He can use anyone. I would have never imagined that we would be ministering to students around the world with a song I wrote for 25 students in Alabama several years ago. God doesn't need Casting Crowns to challenge the church. But He is choosing to let us be a part of what He is doing. We're just hanging on!

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

No new resolutions. I just want to wake up in the morning and do the very next thing Jesus says.

I learned in 2003 that all choices have consequences and that I need to learn from the choices I make. I also am trying to learn what I need to learn and then move on and apply what I learn to future choices.

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

I would like to start working out on a daily basis.

The most important thing God taught me this year was definitely dependence. I went through a lot of traumatic things in the past year and it all led me back to seeing how dependent I NEED to be on God. HE is the reason that I got through it all, holding my hand....encouraging me...I can make it through.

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

I am gonna join the rest of the millions of Americans and say to go on a diet!!!

That I need to get my validation from Him and not those around me. I realized that I was altering who I was so that I could impress those people who happened to be around me at any particular time. It was here that I discovered God saying that he was the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He said, "It's time to be yourself."

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

To realize that there is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness come from the Greek word meaning happenstance or in other words I am happy because my circumstances are making me happy. Joy on the other hand is much deeper and has it's roots in truly knowing and trusting God.

We went through some really confusing times with our record label this last year. MCA Records bought our record contract from Flicker Records. Universal Music group closed MCA down and moved us to Geffen Records. They were not working very hard for us so we had our lawyers get us out of the deal. At first it all seemed like a big waste of time, but God had other plans. We are now free of all contracts and are at the top of our game. I learned to just trust in God because he is always looking out for our best interest.

What is your number one New Year's resolution for 2004?

Be a good dad. My wife and I are having our first baby in feb. and pray more.

I guess this year (and maybe every year) I learned that God really can be trusted. I'l probably have to learn it again next year, but right now, I trust God. Sometimes I learn in fun ways, and sometimes I learn in hard ways, but especially in hindsight I can see that resting in the knowledge of the love and faithfulness of God is the only way to go. But you should probably ask me again tomorrow.

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

My #1 new years resolution for 2004 is to be more gentle and patient with my 3 year old daughter. I can be a tough guy when it comes to discpline. And she is the coolest little girl around.

God taught me from me messing things up and then talking to him about what I should've done. I learned about the character of God's love for me. Other people's love for us can be flighty. Even though I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by people that love me, if I lost all of that I would be okay because God loves me as much when I have all my stuff together as when I am falling apart. During that moment when I think I've got everything under control, God can look ahead and see the moments of my most terrible failures. He chooses to love me anyway.

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

To eat more spiders in my sleep than I did last year.

I have learned that God wants the truth from me. Even if that truth might be ugly at times. The truth sets us free.

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

My #1 new years resolution is to not make any promises that I can't keep.

To be careful not to worship anything else but Him. I recently had a chance to go over to India and see how satan had a stronghold over the people of that country by keeping them tied down to the tradition of worshipping about 30 million gods. Talk about busy, their days were spent doing all these meaningless duties to keep their gods happy or so they thought. Then I thought about us and how we fill up our time with so much activity that we don't have any time left for our relationship with God. Is God the center of our universe or is He in a box we bring out every Sunday or whenever we need comfort or healing?

What is your number one New Years resolution for 2004?

None.