I first picked up a guitar when I was in 8th grade. It belonged to my Dad, though he no longer played. It was a sight to behold. The cherry red, glossy finish with the starburst yellow top, and the double, black pick guards with the engraved roses screamed Country Western. Unfortunately the old girl was in bad shape. Decades of neglect had caused her to warp considerably, making her nigh unplayable. When my father moved to a new church, our old church bought a brand new Seagull guitar as a parting gift. This was a big improvement with its natural look and sweet, mellow sounds. My first day at my new high school proved to be fortuitous. Mr. Aiken, my first period art teacher, was an amazing blues guitarist. More importantly he had old guitars in his room. So in the mornings I would go early to class and begin to play the only chords I could play. I think that he must have gotten sick of hearing the same thing because he began to show me different licks and progressions on the guitar. It was in the this way that I first began to actually play the guitar. At our new church I began playing with Keith, a counselor who led the worship for the youth group who became my introductory teacher in worship music. Soon I became the worship leader and began to lead worship regularly in the 9th grade. When Brian became our youth pastor, he helped get to a whole new level of music, both on the guitar and vocally. When I began to attend Young Harris College I immediately fell in with Troy and Brandon and began leading worship at Wesley Fellowship, BSU, and Chapel meetings. We called ourselves the "Barefoot Undertones" because we like to take our shoes off to play. Just three guitars and three voices. I learned a lot in this time about dealing with an audience that was resistant to change. Anytime that I wasn't studying or actually in class I was playing guitar. At Asbury College I attempted to continue with worship music, however the students in charge of the spiritual life on campus were somewhat reluctant to allow an outsider into their circle. I never once led worship regularly at the school. However other avenues opened up for me. I became involved in the local UMC, leading worship for the college Sunday School class as well as starting a contemporary Sunday evening service. After I graduated from Asbury I spent some time back home leading worship for the my home youth group. Amanda and I married and she took a job as a youth pastor and Life Church of the Nazarene. Here my greatest worship opportunities awaited. I began by leading for my wife's youth group and then I began to play with the newly formed worship team for the Sunday morning service. Along with Becca, the worship leader, we began to push the worship envelope to the point where are as contemporary as a church our size can get, and I don't mean adult contemporary, I mean well beyond that. I began an emergent worship service on Saturday nights and I have begun to lead worship on a semi regular basis in the main service. All in all I have been leading worship almost completely non-stop since 1995. To date that is 12 years experience as a worship leader and 14 years as a guitar player. I'm not great, but the One that I sing to has allowed me to take a journey of music and worship that tempers every note that I play, whether its in front of five or five hundred. I am truly thankful that God has granted me with these special gifts that allow me to be directly involved with the congregation's encounter with the supernatural. Thank you.