Shawn’s Blog

so...watchabeenupto?

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 23:59:58 -0400

"Let me explain... No, there is too much. Let me sum up..." -The Princess Bride

The past 3 years have been more busy than usual for me: I traveled monthly for 2 yrs to Guatemala, studied and learned the Spanish language, taught my fiance English, got married, lived in Guatemala for 6 months, moved back to the U.S. with my wife, spent 9 months rebuilding my house in FL from being destroyed by a water pipe bursting while living in Guatemala, and I organized and led about 200 volunteers on 3 missions to Guatemala. Oh yeah, and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and did a concert in Swahili at the top, playing the Kanun. (no, no...just kidding on that last one. feels like it, though!) All the while, I've been blessed to continue to tour the U.S., and earn my living from playing music and speaking at concerts, youth gatherings and special events. It's been quite a journey...

Now, I am returning to my "normal" life of flying only 50,000 miles/year as a full-time independent Christian musician, keynote speaker, and missionary volunteer. (well, normal for me, except now with a beautiful wife!) I'm especially pumped to get back to music, and have already begun work on a new album, and some other new exciting products I'll be announcing soon.

Hate to ask, because you've been so busy, but... Got anything new?
Lots. Check out The Latest on my site. Newness includes new winner t-shirts, new Guatemalan handicrafts (perfect for Christmas), new online schedule including google maps, new FAQ, and new PR materials that I'm making available for each gig. And of course the new album coming early next year; stay tuned. There’s a bunch of other new stuff in the mailing-list-only section of my website. Email me, I’ll put you on the list, and send you the link to the hidden, secret stuff.

Cool. When and where can I see you again?
Check out my new schedule often, and sign up for my mailing list, and you’ll be in the loop. Odds are, I’ll be doing a gig not far from you soon. Plus, I'm working on an exciting new concert with new tunes, new visuals, new stories, and of course, some favorite classics thrown in for good measure. If you haven't seen me recently, check out what some of my hosts have said from events this year:

"His inspirational message and toe-tapping music has brought the Spirit out of hiding and back into the pews of our congregation."

"...[As a high school principal] it's a relief to me to know that I can trust your message: funny, entertaining...and always true to the Gospel."

"Always engaging and sometimes particularly pointed music, accessible to youth and adults, gospel stories that you get to become a part of..."
"...responding to his call from God, he sure brings others to theirs in a way that is both serious and fun."

I love that... "serious and fun". That's it... I love my job! Seriously. Funnily enough.

Another way to see me is to book me for an event! Book me for a local concert or worship service, one day servant event, keynote talk or music leadership at a youth event or adult conference, Bar Mitzvah, or other special event. (really, I'd love to do a Bar Mitzvah! I'll probably talk about Jesus, fyi, but I'd love to come!)

Yeah, it's been awhile since we’ve had you at our event. Let's do it! How do we book you?
To request availability for a specific date, check out my schedule, then fill out my booking form, and we'll get back to you right away. If you don't have a date in mind, just fill out the form, and we'll let you know when we can work you into a tour. Costs vary, depending on the gig. You can email me at this address for a current price list. We've always been able to work it out, though, even for small events. I have still never refused an event for financial reasons. God always provides a means.

Wait, Shawn... who again?
Uh...yeah. If you're not familiar with me and my ministry, I’m not really sure how you got here, but...welcome! Watch my promo video, check out the FAQ, and info about who I am, and what I do. Better yet, come to a gig, and introduce yourself!

Thank you for your continued support of me and my ministry. I hope to hear from you soon, and see you somewhere on the road soon and very soon. Until then...

God's Peace,

Brother Shawn

why sponsor a child?

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:10:50 -0400

As I mentioned, I spent a lot of time last week putting together a web page and brochure for a Child Sponsorship Program that my friends are administering in Michigan. This was a program we started during our mission to Guatemala this summer. (by the way, if you are interested in joining me on a future mission, please send me an email, and I’ll let you know when we have details about next year’s mission)

Sometimes when you’re intensely working on a project, it’s hard to step back and ask, “why are we doing this?” “Why is this important?” “Does it even matter?” Myself and a lot of my friends in ministry struggle with these questions. In ministry especially, there’s not always a clear answer. But I believe the question should be asked. I’m sure some of my opinions may change in the future, but for today, here’s my answer to, “Why sponsor a child?”:

Because we are called to
Jesus said, “Whoever loves the least of these, loves me”. I believe these are some of the least of these. These are impoverished children, in a developing country. After spending a total of 6 months in Guatemala over the past 2 yrs, I’ve come to believe these children, and this program, is exactly who Jesus was speaking about.

Because they asked for help
Jesus said if a man asks for your shirt, to give him your coat also. Our brothers and sisters in Christ at this school have asked for our help.

Because it works
There are lots of statistics that prove that a person with an education in a developing country is twice as likely to break the cycle of poverty by becoming self-sufficient, and a productive, active citizen who can provide for their family. This program supports that idea, and model.

It’s a long-term solution
Charitable work is complicated--both here and abroad. When are you helping, and when are you enabling a person when you give them a gift? However, many studies have shown that education is key to a long-term solution of breaking the cycle of poverty. It may take a generation or two, but through education of a child, and their community, it is possible. These programs support this model.

Because our US Dollar goes farther there than here
It is a great “bang for your buck”. Things in Guatemala, for example, generally cost about half what they cost here. This means more food, more medicine, more books, more everything, for less $.

Because 100% of the money goes directly to the kids
There’s no middle-man, no administrative over-head. This program is being run by volunteers; no one gets paid, and all time and materials are being donated. All of the money goes directly to the school, where it is monitored.

Face-to-face accountability
Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church will be doing face-to-face follow-up with the program, and will collect clear evidence of where and how sponsorship funds are used in the program. They are committed to a long-term relationship with this school.

Developing countries do not have social services
Countries like Guatemala do not have government services to care for their poor. In a fledgling democracy like Guatemala, (only 16 yrs old after their 30 yr civil war), they are only beginning to offer some of the most basic social services for millions of impoverished people in their country.

Why not?
This is a better question to me. It’s only $1/day. There’s no over-head, no administrative costs. It is feeding hungry children, and giving them an education, and giving them an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty in a developing country. Why not? There’s lots of great charitable organizations. But is there really one better than this idea? Better than this program? Why not?

To sponsor a child in Guatemala please visit this page, and request a child for sponsorship, and/or click on the printable brochure below:

new chucks

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:04:41 -0400

I just got one of the greatest gifts ever from my assistant Erin: Custom Noisemaker All-Star Chuck Taylors--same colors as my Noismaker shirts. SO cool. I have no idea how she had these made, got my correct size, and matched the colors perfectly, but THANK YOU, ERIN B.!

I had a birthday in August, but as usual, I was on tour. It’s tough to get stuff to me when I’m on the road. So, these babies didn’t catch up with me until this week...just in time for my gig in FL.

I wore them for the first time for my gig at King’s Academy this morning, and so many of the kids commented, “nice shoes!” When I showed them the embroidered “Noisemaker”, they were blown away. Me too. I’m stylin’ now. Thanks, again, Erin. You’re the best!

loser hoodies

Fri, 11 May 2007 21:38:45 -0400

So...after much anticipation, they finally arrived, and I’ve got to say, they look better than we’d hoped. We had fun trying them on and gettin’ jiggy. We nearly sold out our first weekend in Florida, of all places. So, now it’s official, our most popular shirt is now a premium hooded sweatshirt.

giant of faith: james stanton

Sun, 6 May 2007 14:33:02 -0400

Actually, I could write a whole entry on each one of these people in the Stanton clan. Sincerely, they are all Giants of Faith in my book. But, this is about James (he’s the one in the back, in the center, with the glasses). Not surprisingly, this is the best photo I have of James. James is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. He’s very quiet and unassuming. (Honestly, it’s hard to get a word in edge-wise living in that house! They are TALKERS!) On the outside, James appears to be a typical teenager: He’s into video games, reads a lot, does above average in school. Attends church and confirmation, has a few close friends, plays an instrument, and likes music. So, what’s so remarkable? His faith. Let me give you an example: about a year ago, James attended one of my concerts. Afterwards, he picked up a brochure about how to sponsor a child at the REACH Home orphanage in India, where I led a mission. He showed it to his mom and said “ I think this would make a good confirmation project, don’t you?”. She agreed. So did the rest of his confirmation class. So, they began… They planned for 4 fundraisers this year to try to raise money for the REACH Home. REACH had some flooding this past year that did some damage to the home and livestock. He wanted to help. Maybe they could even raise enough to sponsor a child for a year ($365). Last night, before my concert, I was asked if the confirmation class could take an offering during the concert to raise funds for REACH. I agreed, and offered to do a slide-show about my visit there in July 2005. I made it clear that it was the confirmation class that was hoping to raise funds for REACH, and that it was a worthy cause. It is, and people gave.

This morning, at both worship services, quiet James stood up before the congregation, along with his two classmates and asked for help on behalf of the children of the REACH Home. They raised over $450 in two days, praise be to God. And… James and his class still have 4 fundraising activities planned for the rest of the year. What is remarkable to me, is that this one, quiet, seemingly normal kid, could inspire an entire class, congregation, and community to make a difference in the lives of the poorest of poor, simply by stepping forward in faith, beyond his comfort zone, on behalf of Children of God who need some help. It is so simple, yet so few of us do it. James did it. He’s doing it right now. He’s not rich, or powerful, or remarkably charismatic, and doesn’t have the title “Professional Christian Musician” or “Missionary” or “Pastor” under his name. He hasn’t even been confirmed yet. But he has faith, and he knows some people need help, and he’s doing something about it.

The other inspiring thing to me is his confirmation class, and the nature of their project. I hang out with a lot of confirmation groups, youth groups, Sunday School classes, and lots of different adult groups at churches. But I honestly cannot remember the last time I encountered a group who dedicated all of their annual fundraising efforts completely for the benefit of someone else. No fundraising for the national gathering, or the ski trip, or the trip to the beach, or for new furniture for the youth room, or for a new building, or choir robes, or an organ, or sound system, or even for youth and adults to attend a mission trip to Guatemala this summer. These are fundraising projects solely for orphans in India. It’s rare, even in the Church, for a group of people to be so unconditionally giving. I suppose it should not surprise us that it was a youth that decided on this direction. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” – Mat 10

Is James perfect? Certainly not. But he is faithful. He is a Giant of Faith to me. A true inspiration. Thank you James, for ministering to me this weekend, and teaching me what it means to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to risk…for God’s sake, and for the sake of His children. May God bless you and your confirmation class, my friend. “You are the light of the world”. – Mat 5

UPDATE: Sep 14, 2007: I just received an email from Molly, James’ mom. She said he and his class have now raised over $2,000 for the REACH Home, praise God.

moonraker

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:01:20 -0400

So...I fly a lot. And honestly, I see a lot of strange things at airports, but this one...have you ever seen anything like this? I woke up when we landed after a night with only an hour’s sleep, looked out the window, and thought I was on another planet. Have you ever seen the James Bond movie “Moonraker”? The guy who designed the sets must be the same guy who designed the Washington-Dulles airport shuttle system. You’ve got to see these things. Some have hats (above), and some don’t. Some go up & down when you arrive at the terminal, some don’t. If you ever have the choice to fly into Washington-Reagan, or Washington-Dulles, make it Dulles, and take the shuttle to your terminal. It’s better than the plane ride itself.

si, yo hablo espanol

Sun, 1 Apr 2007 16:49:12 -0400

As some of you know, I nearly did not graduate from college because of a Spanish language course. In my 5th yr of college, the state of Michigan changed the secondary education degree requirements, to include a full year of college-level foreign language, and they would not “grandfather” me in to allow me to graduate without it. So, in my 5th yr of college, I was required to take a 101 level Spanish class, if I wanted to graduate with a teaching degree. I had never taken a language class in my life prior to that. I took “Spanish 101” because everyone said, “Spanish is the easiest”. Not for me. I never studied so hard in my life, only to fail the course. I needed to repeat the 1st semester. After again, studying harder than ever in my life, I only passed with a D-. Then I needed to take the 2nd semester. I failed it, completely, and nearly dropped out of college because of the frustration and lack of ability to learn this language. I was convinced I was simply not gifted to “speak in tongues”. Really. After looking into my mother’s eyes, and remembering the promise I made to her to graduate, I re-registered for the 2nd semester. After more seemingly unbearable frustration, un-endless studying, and suffering, I passed with a D, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Secondary Education. I told myself, “Praise God, I will never need to speak Spanish again. Adios, Espanol”. Ten years later, my sister married Guillermo, and American immigrant from...Cuba, a very Spanish-speaking country (only they speak it about 1/3 faster than the rest of Latin America). She asked me to sing at her wedding, in Spanish, for his grandmother and entire family from Cuba. I could have died. (I think I almost did). But, love can conquer all, and again, after I “got by”, I truly felt, “that’s it...I’m done...Buen suerte (good luck) Espanol, ADIOS!”

Then, after returning from my mission to India in ‘05, a lady (Jennifer Crist) asked me after a concert if I would consider helping her put together a mission to Guatemala to help orphans and disadvantaged children. My first question...”Where’s Guatemala?”. “South of Mexico”, she said. Right...”do they speak...Spanish in Guatemala?”, I asked with a wince. “Yeah, do you speak Spanish?”, she asked hopefully. “Uh...no.” Needless to say, I went, invited 50 of my friends to join me for a mission, and we were able to do some great work, in spite of my emotional baggage from the language. After hearing that Guatemala has some of the best language immersion schools in Latin America, and their accent is one of the most clear and neutral (another reason the schools are so popular), and after some serious prayer, and other motivating factors not related to the mission, I decided to try a 1 week Spanish course in Guatemala: 1 on 1 with an instructor, 4 hrs/day of class, 2-4 hrs/day of homework, and living with a non-English speaking host family. (P.S. The instructors don’t speak English either!). I studied for one week in October. I was terrified, as you can imagine. I didn’t remember ANYTHING from college. But honestly, after one week of classes, I learned and comprehended more Spanish than in my 2 yrs of pain and agony in college. I returned in Nov/Dec for 4 more weeks of classes. My final exam: At Christmas, I had an hour-long conversation, in Spanish, with my brother-in-law. He spoke very slow, and I needed to ask him to repeat several times, but we “talked” in Spanish. I couldn’t believe it. Neither could he.

Today, after studying Spanish for a total of 3 months, and speaking it for just over 5 months total since my first class, I can now say that, “Yes, I speak Spanish”. Not fluently, but very basically, and for me, it is nothing less than a miracle. Mind you, it was a long, LONG, road, with LOTS of hours of practice, and lots of mistakes, and yes, frustration. But not NEAR the pain & suffering as in college. This system is by far superior to the archaic system of reading & writing grammar in our high-school and university programs in the States. Learning a language, as my teacher said, is more like learning a musical instrument, or a sport. You need to drill and practice...you need to SPEAK the language, not merely study it. I am a living testimony to this philosophy. It works.

My greatest lesson, though? It proves to me that with a good system, a lot of hard work, and even more faith, anything can happen. There is just no way to predict what God’s plans are for your future, and how He can use you, if you are willing to move forward in faith. In my mind, there was NO WAY I could learn another language--especially as an adult. But again, I am a living testimony to how limiting we can be to God’s hopes and dreams for us. My faith was so small. I am learning...Spanish has taught me again to rely on faith, to trust God, even though everything else is telling you, “It’s not possible”. I’m fond of saying, “I’m not the right guy” to God. “It’s a great idea, but I’m just not the right guy for the job, God!” But my good friend often reminds me of scripture, “With God, all things are possible”. It’s true.

I hope to take about 4 more weeks of Spanish before the mission this summer, and my goal is to conduct all of the business of the mission in Spanish. (hotels, food, transport, mission projects and Guatemalan hosts, etc.). Pray for me!

Here was my realization that, “Si, yo hablo Espanol”...”Yes, I speak Spanish!” I wrote the following this morning...

Dear Family and Friends:

So, this morning I went to respond to an email from Karen, the director of the Hogar Miguel orphanage in Guatemala, and I decided to try to respond to her in Spanish. I can usually get by with simple phrases, so this was not a big deal. I generally use the translation program on my computer to convert from English to Spanish. However, today, for the first time, I decided to reverse the translation to check my Spanish. I have to say, I was very nervous waiting for it to translate from Spanish to English. It probably only took about 10 seconds, but it felt like 5 minutes! Anyway, I was relieved to discover, that my letter was translated back to English, nearly flawlessly! I was so excited. It's not perfect, and I needed to correct two words, but the meaning was very clear, even with my mistakes.

It's just a small letter, with simple grammar, but this was a huge step for me today. After this small test, and my communications with people this week, I am convinced that I can now say, with confidence, without question, "Yes, I can speak Spanish". Not a lot of Spanish, and I'm not "fluent", and I still get lost when people speak fast, and there's still more that I don't know than what I do know. However, I now know enough to be conversant, which is nothing less than a miracle. What an amazing turn of events in my life. I still can't believe it. This is probably equal to the day that I realized, at age 27, after trying to learn for 10 yrs, and after less than 1 year of practice, I could play the guitar. I never thought it would happen in a million years. This too, is a miracle in my life. Praise be to God. Thank you for all of your love and support.

Have a blessed Holy Week...

Love,

Brother Shawn

P.S. Here's the letter in Spanish:

Karen:

Recibi' su correo con los numeros para el proyecto de construction. Finalamente! Muchas Gracias! Espero encontrar a usted en la tarde, o si possible la semana proxima. Llego a hogar hoy en la tarde, y salgo a las nueve manana en la manana. si no mirarme usted, voy a regresar la semana proxima. Muchas gracias, y buena Semana Santa..

Dios te bendiga,

Su hermano en el nombre de Jesus,

Shawn

a first class thanksgiving

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 16:52:05 -0500

Brothers & Sisters in Christ:

Greetings in Christ from 37k feet over Atlanta from seat 4A on NW Flight 895 bound for Detroit, MI.

As I squint to look out over the bright blue sky dotted with small puffs of clouds, I give an audible sigh. A sigh of wonder and awe of God's grace. A sigh of Thanksgiving. I am so incredibly blessed. What a privilege to simply have this view, let alone to be able to travel home to be with loved ones. How did this happen? How did I get here? I assure it is by God's grace, and God's grace alone. God provides. Thank you, God. Thank you.

I just finished lunch. It was a beautiful lunch: Cherry & Chicken pasta salad, fresh cut fruit, hot roll, cold butter, chilled water in a real glass, napkin, salt & pepper, silverware, and one of the best packaged brownies I've ever had (check out Dancing Deer products here. Wow, really incredible). They rarely serve lunch in coach anymore. This was a First Class lunch. That's where my seat is. 4A. How did this happen? I don't deserve this. No one does. At the beginning of this year, with all the financial challenges I was about to face, who knew 11 months ago that this could happen? Me, flying First Class to go home to be with my family for Thanksgiving. Twelve years ago when I began doing music ministry full-time, driving in a van 200-300 days/yr to sing and talk about God's love for anyone who would listen, who believed I would end up in First Class? Not me. God's grace. I am not rich by any means. Well, not financially rich, that is. In fact, by US standards, I am far from financially “well-off”. Truth is, compared to most of the rest of the world, we are all incredibly rich who live in this country. (A missionary told me this year that if you own a car, you are in the top 10% wealthiest people on the planet. I do own a car, so compared to the rest of the world, I am wealthy, and have little to complain about.) But I am still considered very close to "impoverished" by our Federal Government, and for most of my adult life, my personal income has been well below the poverty line in this country. However, I fly a lot because of my work, so I usually am in First Class. How ironic...a "starving artist" seated in First Class. It still feels awkward...like I have a secret. I often feel like standing up and confessing to the rest of the First Class cabin--as if at a support group meeting, "Hello. My name is Shawn [They respond, "Hi, Shawn!"]. I am a phony. I’m a poser. I'm sorry, I don't really belong here. I must confess that I'm not wealthy like most of you, and I did not purchase this seat. And I realize my clothes and shoes are probably an embarrassment to most of you. Please forgive me. See, I just fly on the planes a lot because of my business, and they let me have this seat because they couldn’t sell it to a full-paying customer. Again, please forgive me, I do not deserve this seat, but it’s by the grace of God (and Northwest Airlines) that I can sit here. So, I promise to be quiet, act appropriately despite my appearance, and not bother anyone. Thank you for your understanding, and have a nice flight.”

This year I will have flown nearly 70k miles, all over the world. When you fly over 25k with one airline and their partners, within a calendar year, they give you a preferred customer status. One of the perks is when seating is available, they upgrade you to First Class. This, to me, is an amazing privilege. It also allows me to do what I do for much less $.

First Class seating also allows you to check 3 bags instead of two, at 70 lbs each, not 50. This is perhaps the greatest benefit for a traveling musician like myself. CD’s, shirts, and sound equipment for a weekend gig is all heavy stuff. The 3 bags, and 70 lbs, saves me an average of $130/flight I’d have to pay in additional fees if I could not make my upgrade. Thankfully, because of my frequent flyer status, I am usually upgraded, Praise God. Again, only by the grace of God. God provides.

Many of those 70k miles this year were logged to come see all of you--to share God's love in music and word; to worship, to talk late into the night about the kingdom of God, and the pain of sin in this world. Some flights were to see my brothers and sisters in the REACH Home in Bapatla, India. Some were to see my new friends in Christ in Guatemala. Nearly all flights were to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the gifts He has given me. How blessed I am.

Everywhere I look I am reminded of God's amazing grace, and providence, and steadfastness: My seat in First Class. The amazing view of God's creation. Warm clothes. A temperature controlled plane with attendants serving me. A cell phone that fits in my pocket, works nearly anywhere in the world, and keeps the current time regardless of what time zone I'm in, or how high in the air I go. It even does math. This incredible laptop computer that I can watch movies on, listen to music, answer my email, upload my current photos to, and write to you with while traveling 500 mph at 37k feet over God's creation.  What a privilege. God indeed provides. Even through the intense trials of this past year, God has remained faithful. I am so blessed. He is worthy to be praised.

In an interview I recently viewed with Michael Crighten at c-span online, he said one lesson he has learned as a writer over the years is to wait to start writing until he has something to say. (click on his March 22nd speech here). He experienced writer's block for years, until he learned this lesson. Sometimes he now waits 4 or 5 yrs before he is ready to write; before he has something to say. Now, he never has writer’s block.

I guess that's where I am at. I have been very busy, but creatively silent for a long time. I've now begun working on two new recording projects, a documentary about my mission trip to India last summer, and I’ve started two new books. And of course the new newsletter, and, this blog. I guess I now have something to say.  I realize that I've been distant, if not silent, with many of you for a long time. I'm sorry for being out of touch. I have been busy, but haven't we all? Please forgive me. I'd like to give you an update of what's been happening in my ministry--a Harvest Season report. You can read all the latest here. It's been a full, and fruitful year. Again, God has been faithful. I am so thankful.

I am headed home to Michigan for Thanksgiving. Most of my extended family will be there, and I'm so thankful to have the time and resources to have bought a last-minute ticket home to be with them. Some of them have health that is frail; some haven't been able to make it to a family holiday for years. It may be years until I see many of them again. I am so blessed. Thanks be to God, and thanks to all of you for supporting me and my ministry all of these years. It is truly a first class thanksgiving.

God's Peace,

Brother Shawn