May 30, 2000 Journal Entry "Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:29,30) We’ve finished the "City on a Hill" project! It has been one of the most challenging projects I’ve taken on to date…and among the most satisfying. I hope and pray that the melodies, harmonies, rhythms and words will inspire worship in the hearts of all who hear it! It’s a humble yet sincere offering, and I speak for all the artists who participated. They are: Jars of Clay, Caedmon’s Call, Sixpence None the Richer, FFH, Third Day, Sonic Flood, Peter Furler, Marc Byrd, Christine Glass, and The Choir. We worship and praise a God of wonders beyond our galaxy! And now, I need a vacation… so tomorrow I’ll be going camping with my family and my friend Phil Madeira’s family for five days. When I return, Tim Chandler will be here – flown out from Los Angeles to help us complete the new "Choir" album. Four songs are already done…mixed and everything. Two of them are rather strange: "Flap Your Wings" (already among my all time favorites, featuring a very disturbing bass guitar performance), and "Shiny Floor" (with a lyrical line I’m particularly fond of – "Yes, I’m trying to be agile like a Saskatoon lynx."). The other two songs are rather nice, really: In fact, "A Moment in Time" is ridiculously sentimental to such an extent that we’ll likely include something extremely bothersome on the album just to counteract its sappiness. The fourth song is called, "Mercy Lives Here," words and music by Derri. It’s one of one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, no kidding. He recorded it awhile ago for his yet to be completed solo album. I asked him if we could put it on this Choir project, and I’m glad he agreed. "At home with the saints and the sinners, mercy lives here." Well, I’d better bring this to a close so I can help Nancy pack the station wagon. She does more than her share of the work around here! In the meantime, let’s all walk on water! Steve