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!

I’m looking forward to my interview with Amy on KGPS “The Way” Radio tonight. The station transmits from Kingman, Arizona. You can tell by listening to their station and reading the information on their website (click here) that they have a heart for God. I’ve listened to their programming online, and it brings encouragement and comfort. I also really appreciate their support of the music and “Glorious Savior”. I’ll post an update about the interview later this week and will let you know when it will be aired!

Thanks to everyone who came out to hear us at Worship in the City at World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee! It was such a great experience! There was definitely a feeling of worship and giving in the air. We played on the Festival Lawn Stage which was located in a neat green space with the bridge, river, and sunsphere as its backdrop. Really cool! The guys in the band–Lance Day, Carson Ray, Collin Ray, Swaff, and Jay Wilson–were all AWESOME! I heard some bands for the first time–All Sons and Daughters and Seabird–and became a fan. The volunteers were all super, and the stage manager (Tim) and his team did a great job with helping us set up and the production. The event also reached its goal of one million meals by the end of the day! It was a blessing to be a part of it, and I am grateful to the organizers (Chyna and Lori) for making it happen. [By the way, when we arrived and saw the flyer, it had us listed as J.D. Wright instead of J. Douglas Wright, so I’m thinking maybe Mike Rimmer was onto something (see Follow-Up: Interview with Mike Rimmer of Cross Rhythms post)].

Mike Rimmer is one of the neatest guys I have had the privilege of meeting in a long time. As you may know, he hosts Rimmerama on Cross Rhythms in the United Kingdom. The insight he shares about Christian music shows he is someone with an extraordinary gift. He gives time on his show and blog to the trailblazers, famous, and newcomers in Christian music. To me, this makes him a rarity in this industry. He was funny (“Do you drive a pick-up truck? Do you own a shotgun?”) These were questions about my Southern upbringing, which, as he admitted, were based solely on the way Southern boys are portrayed on television and in the movies. He also asked what he should call me, and said he was leaning toward J.D. (which proved prophetic–see Worship in the City Update! post). He also spent time learning about my experience in becoming a follow of Christ, and was very interested in the inspiration behind the songs. I feel really blessed that I had the chance to spend some time with Mike Rimmer. I even shouted “Mike Rimmer is legendary” out the window of my imaginary pick-up truck just the other day. 🙂

Come join us for Worship in the City on August 26-27 at the World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee!  The theme of the event is to unite together as followers of Christ. The celebration is also working with Kids Against Hunger® and Second Harvest in a goal to raise over one million meals for hungry children and their families. Click here to read about the event and how to help. The complete list of artists and bands is here. We’ll be playing on Saturday the 27th at 4:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!