Raindrops To Rivers - Spring Newsletter

Hey Friends! Since we wrote last, the fireworks of a New Year have dissipated to raindrops and the promising seeds of a new season are being planted.  Soon, the sun of spring will warm our shoulders again! Raindrops to Rivers The month of March marks one year since we met with Jon to chat about the ins and outs of a musical vision that would become "The Wicks".  It's been our theme through the year to "Light Up The Dark" - to share good news with folks who need some, bind up broken hearts and bring comfort through a few sweet melodies.  At times this theme has seemed daunting.  Each bit of "good" seems to be just "a drop in a bucket." But over the year, we've learned to remind ourselves about drops in buckets: they add up.  After a time, those buckets fill up and overflow.  And that overflow becomes a stream and streams feed into rivers - and rivers change things.   We've seen signs of "overflow" play out in different ways the last few months and it's been so encouraging!  So friends, THANK YOU for praying for us!  Please continue to, and we will pray for you, too!  Let's not grow weary in "doing good," no matter how small each drop of "good" may seem.    Leavenworth to L.A. in Three Paragraphs & 30 Days In December, we had the pleasure of spreading Christmas cheer in the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth!  Twenty-three Christmas shows later, we're ready to go again in 2013!   The New Year brought a few changes.  Our 2nd guitar player and good friend, Josh Baumann, made some exciting life decisions that would carry him to St. Louis.  His heart to help kept him here from July-December to help get our live music off the ground, and for that we are so, so grateful.  Meanwhile in January, Brian Blair of Cashmere was making a New Year's resolution of his own to focus more on music - a big supernatural "viola" on that one!  We've had a lot of fun getting to know Brian and work his unique musical strengths and big heart into our live shows.  It's a good thing it worked out this way, cause come February, we were on the road again: Spokane, WA to Greenough, MT; Greenough, MT to Los Angeles, CA, all within the first two weeks.   "Excellent" Words of Wisdom In L.A., we had the chance to chat with songwriter and new friend, David Hodges.  David writes with musicians you've either downloaded to your iTunes playlist, voted for on American Idol, or heard on the radio.   One day as we walked for coffee, David shared with us about the day his first band, "Evanescence," was discovered.  He and two friends had been writing music for a couple years.  When they were finally satisfied with their songs, they recorded, and though they didn't know what "mastering a CD" meant, from what they'd read, that would be the next step.  The man they hired to master their CD told to come back in two hours.  In that time, a manager for another band went to use the restroom.  Walking past as David's songs were playing, he stopped in to listen.  Two days later David and his friends were signed and today it's hard to find a 20-30something who hasn't heard Amy Lee belt "Bring Me to Life."  "The moral of this story," David said, is "I believe everyone who invests time in their art will have their 'two minutes' to be heard.  The question is, will your art be ready for that two minutes?  Had our music not been something that caught the manager's attention, it would have been just another trip to the restroom for him…and we would never know."   Whatever we create, create it with a standard of excellence.  Duly Noted. Back to Basics  Two days before Christmas, we got a call from mom telling us we needed to head to the hospital - dad had a heart attack and would require emergency heart surgery through the night.  Shocking.   In late January, Jon got a call from his mom telling him he needed to head to the hospital - his brother was fighting for his life.  Before the sun rose again, Jon quite suddenly lost his brother.  Clock stopping. These, as well as the loss of Grandpa in the fall, will naturally influence the content of our next album.  Dealing with the questions of Ecclesiastes: "What really matters and what really does not?"  Themes of Love.  Time.  Finding joy in work, in play, and in the rain.  Fighting for your Life.  Our album will celebrate life and life well lived.  It's shaping' up to be a good'er!   We're so grateful for you and look forward to seeing you at a show real soon.  'Til then, stay warm and keep those lamps burnin' bright!    -The Wicks

About the Song Series: "First Snow" - *To Be Released Friday, November 25th*

It's a magical moment.  You wake up, cozy in your bed, and you sense a mysterious hush...even the morning quiet is muffled by something...but what?  A tinge of hope wells up inside and you wonder, "Is this what I think it is?"  You look out the window and low and behold, overnight, your world has become a fantastical winter wonderland!!! 
"It's snowing.  IT'S SNOWING!!" you say as you trip out of bed, and it doesn't matter a bit who's listening.  It may seem like just another day to some, but for you, this is YOUR day!  You smile a silly smile all day long and saying "Hi!" to people you've never met before.  Every store you walk into is met with a friendly conversation about the weather and it just seems like the world is on your side. 

......

It's a magical moment. You wake up to a mysterious sense of anticipation for the day...something different, quite wonderful...but what?  Then you picture their beautiful face and a surge of happiness runs through your body.  You wonder, "Is this what I think it is?"   You look out the window and the sky seems clear and bright, far as the eye can see.  It seems overnight, your world has become a fantastical wonderland!!!
"I'm in love....I'M IN LOVE!!" you say as you trip out of bed, and you don't care a bit who knows it!  It may seem like just another day to some, but for you, this is YOUR day!  You smile a silly smile all day long and say "Hi!" to people you've never met before!  You speak with giddy inflections to your voice you didn't have in you to convey before and it just seems the world is on your side.



Fellow snowbirds and lovebirds, "First Snow" is OUR song!  It's a fun and flirty comparison between being in love and the first snow and it's just cute as a button!  It's a happy attempt to put words and a tune to the feeling of being in love at Christmastime; though I venture to say, there's nothing quite like it, and there are no words or tunes sugary enough to describe it.  To put it most simply, what "First Snow" means to say is: Merry Christmastime to you, Lovebirds -- LOVE ON!

About the Song Series: "First Christmas Away From Home" *To Be Released Friday, November 25th*

Public Service Announcement: tsfSAD, a photo by zebra.paperclip on Flickr.

September 2001, I flew out to work at the Shelter City Youth Hostel in Amsterdam, Holland. It was something I'd wanted to do for some time - go and share the love of Jesus in practical ways smack-dab in the middle of "the red light district." (Why is another story.)
I was 19, and to put it simply, wasn't prepared for a lot of what I experienced there. I spent way more than my fair share of time in the tiny library on the landing, praying overwhelmed prayers.
The library was decorated with Christmas lights, which I took great comfort in from my first day on, because Christmas lights meant Christmas, and Christmas meant a time of peace, comfort, and safety in the arms of my dad, my mom, my family...


I spent my first Christmas season away from home at the Shelter. And I remember praying often leading-up-to and after Thanksgiving that Jesus would reveal to me how He could empathize with what I was feeling, being so far from all that was familiar - everything and everyone I knew at Christmastime.

This prayer got the sweetest answer. It changed the way I look at Christmas, and the great measure of Christ's love for us:Christmas Day was Jesus' very first day away from home. A place he would not return to for 33 years.
In the name of Love, Jesus stepped out from under the Perfect Light of heaven and all He ever knew. He left the safe arms of His Father and ever-glorious swelling songs of the angels...
And He was born into our dark world under a quiet sky, to people He did not know.
His sacrifice of love that first Christmas night was beyond measure. And, He did it perfectly...
....
For anyone spending a Christmas away from home: a soldier; a student; a missionary...or maybe, someone who is missing someone precious this Holiday season, Jesus empathizes with this heartache so intimately. He loves us. He is with us...we are never alone..."Immanuel."
He loves you.
He is with you.
You are never alone...
"Immanuel."