Some of the first words I heard this year were “Jesus loves you”.  It was early in the morning, and we needed to pick up a card at the grocery store.  As I was looking at the cards, a man walked over to me and said, “I usually don’t do this, but I wanted to tell you that Jesus loves you.” I replied, “I really appreciate you telling me that, and Jesus loves you, too.”

This was not the usual grocery store exchange. And since part of my personality is to analyze why things happen (some call it paranoia), I had various, interfering thoughts (“Do I look like someone who doesn’t know Jesus loves him? Maybe not shaving this morning was a bad idea.”) I then thought about what it says in Mark 16:15. One translation of it reads, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News’.”

This is what the man was doing. Even though I have known that Jesus loves me for as long as I can remember, unexpectedly hearing it that day seemed to cut to the heart of what really matters. It was like John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” That is how it felt to really experience those words. It felt like someone had just told me the answer to life, the universe, and everything. And that is exactly what had happened.

Merry Christmas from Mama’s Hippopotamus Music!

The song “Abby May” from Leap is going to be released in a few weeks. A sneak peek of the video is now available at the link below. Hope you enjoy it!

\”Abby May Sneak Peek\”

I thought I was looking at myself...

It’s that time when people start reflecting on the year that is about to end and thinking about the new year.  I hate to admit it, but I have never been a big fan of doing this.  I’m usually an “in the moment” kind of guy.  I count my blessings as they come, and try to make the best of everything God provides without looking too far behind or ahead.

For some reason, though, I can’t help but look back at the great things that happened for my music this past year.  If you have read my blog, you already know all about them, so I won’t list them again.  But I will mention the pre-release party at The Clubhouse in Villa Rica. It remains one of the best experiences I have had.  It never occurred to me as we stood there performing, surrounded by the most supportive people I know, that almost a year to the day later, we would be playing in New York City.  The great experiences that occurred between those two dates are amazing.  It’s evidence of how God knows the plan.  I would have never known to even ask for the opportunities that came our way.  Yes, God does exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

A view from Central Park

About the trip to NYC–I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the big city, but I really enjoyed it. The people were nice, and many went overboard in making us feel comfortable.  If we had questions, we would ask people on the street or subway, and everyone seemed happy to help.  We got a great deal at a place called The Flatiron Hotel, [thanks to a secret (travel) agent we know named Sonya].  I have never been shown such hospitality at a hotel. One night, the concierge spent 20 minutes in the middle of the street, in the rain, trying to get us a taxi to take us to the show.

When I almost lost two buttons on my jacket (maybe I ate too much), the seamstress at a place called John Glory sewed them back, on the spot, for $2 a button.  We enjoyed great breakfasts at a place down the street called My Taste, and wore out the subway going anywhere we wanted to visit.  Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art were highlights.

Sunset in Central Park

The Living Room where we played was really comfortable, as the name suggests. The people there and from the Independent Music Awards showed us such hospitality. I felt blessed to be with the best band in the world–Brian Preston on drums, Cody Preston on lead guitar, Wayne Jay Wilson on bass, Carson Ray on vocals and tambourine, and Swaff, my awesome producer, on electric guitar. It was also nice to see my sister and Swaff’s mom in the audience. For pics from the showcase, click here.

It’s only one week until we will be performing at The IMAs Live! Showcase at The Living Room in NYC!  You can check out the flyer for the show below. I really appreciate the people at the Independent Music Awards for inviting us and making this happen!

CCM Magazine just published a New Music Exclusive Artist feature about me this week.  You can read it by scrolling to the Music section at www.ccmmagazine.com or go directly to http://www.ccmmagazine.com/article/new-music-exclusive-artist-j-douglas-wright/. I really appreciate having the opportunity to be included in such a great magazine!

I started writing this post several weeks ago when I found out the number of radio stations I had been able to track that were playing Straight N Narrow and/or Glorious Savior had reached 40. It’s been such an honor to be included on their playlists. The day just happened to be 40 days before we would be performing at The Living Room in NYC. It made me start thinking about the number 40, and how many times it is found in the Bible. There are several instances of people going away to pray for 40 days and 40 nights, most notably Christ when He fasted in the desert after being baptized. It is not our current custom to do this. I imagine we would get some strange and possibly negative reactions if we told our families or bosses, “See ya in 40 days or so–got some praying to do!”, even though the idea appeals to me.

I had the thought that during the month of November, it would be neat to post at least 40 blessings a day. There would be so many things to include. For example, if I first started by thanking God for life, I would include my physical self.  I might start with my skeletal system, which is comprised of 206 bones. Each is made of tissues, cells, marrow, all of which have their own numerous parts, and I would want to name and thank God for each of these, too. Then I would want to thank Him for all of the functions of the skeletal system; for example, the many ways it protects me and all the things it allows me to do with every move I make. I may next thank God for my muscular system, and name each of the 850 or so muscles, their parts, and what they do. (The eye muscle alone moves approximately 432,000 times a day.) To give thanks for the organ system, starting with my brain, would involve naming each of the 100 billion neurons that are involved in its function. At this point, I would not even be close to finishing my thanks for my physical self, and I would also want to include all of my family, friends, and those I don’t personally know who have impacted my life, and thank God for the countless intricacies that went into making each one of them.

Then there are the material blessings I enjoy each day, like a car (approximately 30,000 parts to make it), a house (just the nail-count: 1000 per 100 square feet), and a computer (one megabyte represents roughly one million bytes). It would take the rest of my life to thank God for everything, and there would be more left to cover. To thank God for the day, for life, for food, for a home, for family, and for friends represents centillions of mini-creations.

To think of how to properly thank God reminds me of a song we sing in church called “The Love of God”. One of the verses says “Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.” (Song by Frederick M. Lehman; photo of painting by Glenn Ewing)

Just in the last 12 weeks, the songs “Glorious Savior” and “Straight N Narrow” have been added to at least 40 radio stations in the United States. The songs are also getting airplay in Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. Really exciting! I like radio because the process is about making connections with others. It is great to meet the programmers and learn about them and the histories of their stations. It’s a blessing to hear how they had a passion to bring the message of Christ to others over the airwaves, and to see how the stations have grown. I also like radio because there is always an element of surprise. You never know what is coming next, and this unpredictability often leads to the Lord working in mysterious ways. For example, the other day I was listening to a station when they played ”Easter Song” by Keith Green. The song stopped me in my tracks, and I felt God’s presence in such a powerful way–like it was the first Easter day, and all were celebrating the resurrection of the Savior.  This probably would not have happened if the song had been programmed into a playlist of my own since I would have known it was coming. So I’m thankful for radio and the programmers who connect with their listeners, and unbeknownst to them, create “Easter in September” experiences. I consider myself honored to be in such company.

It’s interesting when a prayer is answered right before your eyes. For example, I had said a few times that it would be nice to have someone working on the Ma’s Hippo Music team in public relations, maybe an intern who is on fire for God and really talented. In one of those “be careful what you wish (or pray) for” moments, a good friend of mine introduced me to Justin Monsewicz, a mass communications major with an emphasis on public relations. He’s also getting a religion minor, and just happens to have a passion for Christian music. Justin is a natural, and has been responsible for the Christian Music Zine and CM Addict features. He’s also been doing some Facebook posts and keeping everyone up to date on his own website, All Things Communication (click here). On top of everything else, he is responsible for establishing the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at his university and is also the president of the chapter! When God does something, He does it right, and I’m thankful to have Justin on the MHM team.

I had such a good time during my interview with Amy Wilson of KGPS “The Way” Radio! She was so much fun, and even gave me my now-favorite new name “J-Do” (pronounced Jay-Dough). She said it worked for J-Lo, so why not? (Now I’m seeing all kinds of possibilities-”The new single by J-Do featuring J-Lo”.) She spent a lot of time getting to know me and the inspiration behind the music. I was also really touched when she asked if there was anything she and the radio listeners could be praying related to my own requests. This meant a lot to me. I really appreciate Sally Lee, the Station Manager, for making the interview possible, and for their support of the music. Getting to know them has been a highlight of the summer, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for their station!