Free Music Friday: Vedera – Stages

As usual, I don’t know how I ran across Vedera. Probably music mining over on Amazon or something… I dunno.

But I DO know I was thoroughly impressed with their debut album, “The Weight of an Empty Room.” So when their follow-up album, “Stages,” came out, I knew I would enjoy it. Granted, they rewrote some of their key hooks and melodies from their previous album into new songs on this one, but you know what? It works. (Part of the joy of being an indie artist… you’re free to do crazy stuff like that if you want to.)

If you’re a fan female-fronted bands ala Sixpence None The Richer, The Sundays or The Cranberries, you’ll probably love the infectious pop rock stuff that Vedera has to offer. Just leave a comment with your contact info below and I’ll pick a winner on Sunday for the Amazon MP3 album.

Vedera – Stages (On MyPlay.com)

Vedera – MySpace

Thank God For Super-sucky Gifts.

I have to be honest: I’ve received some truly sucktacular gifts in my lifetime.

Growing up on comic books, music and action-adventure novels, I’m a relatively easy guy to buy for. An Amazon gift certificate pretty much rocks my world, while giving me more than enough funds to restock my music library (with the LEGAL versions of songs that I deleted years ago. Note: Just because a cheap music site is legal in Russia and accessible to you in America DOESN’T make it right).

One vivid memory was a birthday shortly after college. My parents had helped Kim and I as we moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and after unpacking our stuff and going out to dinner, it was time to do the birthday thing. So my parents wheeled in some of their luggage (you know, since they didn’t have time to wrap the stuff), and I began unzipping the suitcases with thinly veiled zeal. What could possibly be inside these things, I wondered? That’s gotta be a pretty huge action figure to fit in here! And so on went my thoughts…

Until I reached the final piece of the Russian doll luggage set, all fitting snugly into the other, and found… nothing.

I was sadly perplexed. Where was the gift, I wondered aloud. My parents simply smiled and informed me that the luggage WAS the gift.

At which point two things happened: 1) my heart sank swiftly and 2) Kim started snickering.

The first reaction is pretty obvious. Being a self-centric birthday brat, I was sad I didn’t get “anything I wanted.” But why would Kim start yukking it up in the corner? Why indeed…

That would be because a month earlier? When my mother had called her to ask what I wanted for my birthday? Kim thought for a moment, considered what we could use “as a couple” and said without a second thought, “Luggage.”

So to this day the word “luggage” has a special meaning to me. It means sadness. Disappointment. Maybe egocentric snottiness. But whenever anyone now asks me what Kim wants for a gift? I’m ready with a quick answer: she wants a MacBook Pro. (Or an iPad… or a Kindle Fire…)

To be honest, though, the luggage wasn’t the suckiest gift I was ever given. That honor goes to my in-laws, Dave and Sue Linton. Way back in 2005, I believe, I unwrapped a Christmas gift to find myself staring at… a Black and Decker Rechargeable Hand Vac. I thought it was one of the most bizarre gifts I’d ever received. ‘Cause giving Kevin a tool – ANY tool – is like giving a handyman a free license for Scrivener, the best writing software EVER. The potential is simply wasted.

So the vacuum sat in its wrapping for a good month after Christmas, gathering dust until I could decide whether I was going to sell it on eBay or Craigslist. At least, that was the plan until… THAT DAY.

That would be the day Kyler spilled his bowl of cereal all over the kitchen floor. I believe it was dry and completely milk-free, but I’m honestly not sure. All I remember is looking at the pieces of Cheerios spread across the tiles and thinking to myself, “Now, what’s the best way to clean THIS up?” And then I remembered: I had the perfect tool! Right in the other room!

The room was sucked clean in minutes. And I was impressed. Strongly so.

And now? Now I can say that getting that bizarre, seemingly pointless gift was the BEST gift I’ve ever been given. (Next to my wife presenting me with a MacBook, I suppose…) Why? Because I use that vacuum EVERY SINGLE DAY. Now that we have three clones instead of just one? That’s three times the crumbs, crusts and crispy stuff strewn around the house. And having a strong handy vac on hand? A lifesaver.

Sometimes God gives us something that looks a lot like luggage. We’re praying and hoping hard for something else, something we think would be cool or that we desperately need, and He gives us the exact opposite. And we frown and whine and think there must be some mistake. “Surely, God, you didn’t mean to give me THIS? Did you? Because I’m pretty sure there was a mix-up in heaven or something…”

But God doesn’t make mistakes.

Matthew 6:8 says that God “knows what you need before you ask Him.” While we might accept that part, that God’s omniscient, we have a harder time believing the bigger picture: God Loves Us.

So if we believe that 1) God loves us and 2) that He knows what our needs are, then why do we freak out so much? Why do we question what in the world He’s giving us when we know that He’s only going to give us what’s for our good?

You might not see it today, buried under everything that’s on top of you. But one day? You’ll be in a position to actually thank God for the empty luggage He’s giving you right now.

(Insert your own “fill your empty luggage with your life experiences” analogy here)

- Kevin

The Return Of Kevin Mills, Blogger Guy.

It’s true.

I’ve been away for quite some time. What with the introduction to Facebook, Twitter and Ping.fm, I find my desire to communicate with the world at large to be pretty satiated. But there’s one problem: a lot of what I have to say doesn’t fit into 140 characters or less.

Sure, the summaries might, but sometimes we need more than a verbal soundbite to get the message across. And I have some messages I’d like to get across to you. Strong convictions that need to be expressed, if only to attempt to have an impact on the small sliver of the sphere God’s given me access to.

Plus, I need to work on my writing skills anyway, and writing at a regular pace is a great way to do that. Stay sharp, on the edge, where I gotta be…

(Anyone beside my wife able to identify that quote? Anyone…?)

So this is really a pre-entry. I’ll figure out a regular time to write soon, and then I’ll be updating this on weekly, or (gasp) bi-weekly basis. And be sure to tune in on Fridays, ’cause that’s when I plan to give away free music.

Ahh…. it’ll be good to be back. Hope you feel the same way.

- Kevin

Free Music Friday: Hammock – Kenotic

Way back in 2005 I discovered what Post-Rock Music entailed. I had been looking for some kind of instrumental music, akin to Pink Floyd’s 90′s stuff, and as I was searching on CD Baby I ran across a then-unheard of group called Hammock. Their debut album, “Kenotic,” only confirmed my suspicions: I was in love with instrumental post-rock.

As I’m beginning to write on my blog more often, I’m going to try to institute Free Music Fridays. This is where I’ll post about a favorite band of mine, and then offer to buy the album for one lucky winner the next day. All YOU have to do is leave a comment below (and provide a cryptic e-mail address, ala “bunky at bunkyboo dot com” or something). Then I’ll slap all the names into some randomizer app on my iPhone and voila! Instant winner!

In the meantime, enjoy the album below… to see if it’s your kinda tunes.

- Kevin

The Giving Experiments (conclusion).

There’s a definite correlation between giving and receiving, and I believe it’s universal. Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Chocoholic, this is just the way God originally designed the world to work. Period.

When we give passionately and sacrificially, focusing on the needs of others as opposed to our own, we will be blessed. Incredibly, astoundingly, jaw-droppingly blessed.

Whether it’s in the areas of finances, relationships, books, music or whatever, I believe you will reap what you sow. What’s more, you will reap MORE than you sow. A lot of other books have touched on this, but they all point to one thing: what Jesus said is absolutely true.

Luke 6:38 “ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Here’s a few other key Scriptures to meditate on. (Yes, I said “meditate.” Deal with it.)

1 Corinthians 4:7,8 “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings.“

Guess what? Everything you have in this life? God gave it to you. Your house? Your car? Your books and CDs and computers and STUFF? Yeah. Gifts from God.

“But,” you stammer, “That’s not right! I bought that stuff with MY money! That I earned with my hard work!” Uh-huh. And who provided you with your job? Your livelihood? Who gave you the skills to make that money? The hands to do your work? The mind? The body? The very breath you’re breathing right now?

That’s right, Buttercup. You’re not the self-made success you thought you were. Everything you have is a gift, but here’s the kicker: the more you share your gifts, the more gifts you get to share. Yeah, I know. He’s a crazy giver, our God. Insanely generous, some might say.

2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.“

Again, this is a universal truth. What you spread around is what’s gonna come back to you. Call it a boomerang effect, call it karma, call it whatever you want, but the truth is right there in God’s word: we will reap what we sow in this life.

What we fail to grasp is the fact that we are ALWAYS sowing. Constantly. Everything that we think, say or do is planting a seed that will grow and sprout and – for better or worse – produce a harvest just like the original kernel. That’s why it’s so incredibly important to pay attention to what you’re thinking, to filter out and uproot those negative thoughts that pop into your head. Just because their seeds fall onto the fertile ground of your mind doesn’t mean you have to till the soil, stuff ‘em down and fertilize them. Heck no! Snatch ‘em up and throw ‘em away! YOU get to choose what you plant. It’s YOUR garden. (It’s Your Life.)

2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 11 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Do I believe God wants us rich? Without question. But not in the way the world defines “rich.” You see, the world says you’re rich when you’ve got the nice house (or a couple on each coast), the fancy cars, the latest and greatest toys and gadgets and all the money you could ever spend on yourself. I don’t think this is what God has in mind when He wants to bless us. In fact, I believe it’s pretty much the exact opposite. I believe God wants to outrageously bless us so that we in turn can become outrageous blessings to OTHERS.

People often misquote 1 Timothy 6:10 and say that money is the root of all evil. It’s not. Money’s neutral, a tool that can be used for God’s glory or our detriment. Financial prosperity and wealthy abundance for each one of us? God’s all for it. And here’s why: because when we’re so self-centered on our own “lack” and focus only on what we think we DON’T have in life (money, cars, stuff), it has a two-fold effect.

First, we give end up giving power to the perpetual wheel that’s running in the background of our lives. We say we don’t have enough? Guess what? You’re never gonna have enough. Just like it says in Proverbs 18:21, you get what you say. And your words have more power than you realize.

Secondly, if we have the constant mindset that we ourselves are just barely making it, frantically scrambling about financially and thinking we never have enough, then guess what? The idea of giving to someone else isn’t a high priority on our To Do list. We’re not going to even consider giving something of value to someone else if we’re convinced that we are the ones who are in desperate need.

And that’s a really sad mindset to have. Because as the Bible makes perfectly clear, we can only reap what we sow in the first place. Think about it. A farmer doesn’t just wander out to harvest a field of bare dirt. He plants the seeds well ahead of time, knowing they’ll one day product a crop of whatever he planted. So if you’re not sowing seeds financially? If you’re not passionately giving to someone or somewhere else that you see has a need? Buddy, you’re never going to reap a financial harvest. Ever.

I’m convinced that that’s not what God wants for us. He wants to make us rich. Every single one of us. And He doesn’t want to do it so we can buy all the bling we want in life. He wants to do it so what we will be positioned to share what He’s given us with others. He wants to bless us to be a blessing.

So let go of that bucket mentality you’ve got. Punch a few holes in that sucker, and watch as the blessings He’s about to unleash on you overflow and spill and spurt out in every direction, drenching everyone you come in contact with. God wants you to be a sprinkler, not a sponge. Stop soaking it all up for yourself and start actively spreading it around to those in need, to the people He places in your path each day. Give It Away. Intentionally. Passionately.

Trust me when I promise you this: You Will Be Blessed.

- Kevin

Give It Away: The Giving Experiments (part 3)

This is Part 3 in a 4-part series on Giving. Specifically, giving passionately. (You might wanna go read the others I wrote first. Not required reading, but just a suggestion…)

Aside from Books, I’m also passionate about Music. Music not only helps me relax and worship God more intimately, but there’s been numerous times where He’s spoken into my life directly through songs. As in, He’s told me exactly what I needed to hear at the time through a singer’s lyrics. (It’s always quite cool when that happens.)

Every December I scour the music sites in search of only the best Christmas songs to add to my collection. Most of the stuff I hear is bland or just uninspired, so I’m quite picky when I find a song I like. Well, this year I found some really good stuff, and I wanted to share it with someone else.

I have a handful of friends who I know appreciate music as much as I do, so I created a custom playlist on iTunes and sent it to them. It was about $10 each, so it cost me around $30 overall. Not a bad investment, I figure, lovin’ on people with the gift of music. To be perfectly honest, though, I wasn’t giving to them as part of the experiment. I’m a passionate guy, I love giving, so giving music comes naturally to me.

I also sent a former missionary student of ours (from our time in Indonesia) a flash drive filled with MP3s that I no longer wanted. (I figure I PAID for ‘em. Might as well send them to someone else to enjoy, since the songs didn’t rate high enough for me to keep. And for those who are curious, that would be a rating of 3 stars or above. 3 Stars = I’d like to hear it again. 4 Stars = I REALLY like this song. And 5 Stars? Well, if it’s a 5 Star song you’d best not play it while I’m in a coma. ‘Cause I won’t be waking up, people.)

Those were what I gave away. And the return? Well, the return has been shocking.

The other weeknight a friend dropped by the house. I had asked him a few weeks ago if he happened to have an older iPod shuffle on hand, the postage stamp version from a few years ago. I just wanted to have something to plug into in the car stereo once in a while, enjoy my tunes on the road (or in the sauna at the gym). He said he did, and he’d drop it by that evening. So I was pretty stoked when he came in and handed me the box with the iPod inside.

As I looked closer at the box, however, I saw it was not only wrapped, it was unopened. At first I thought he had found the original box and sealed it up, to make it look like new. But as I opened it, I realized this wasn’t the case. This box WAS new. Brand spankin’ new. And unopened. And inside was a brand new, state-of-the-art 4gb iPod Shuffle. Titanium. Engraved with a consolidated version of my Mills Creative Minds scripture, no less. (Colossians 1:16)

Blew. Me. Away.

I’m used to being the guy who GIVES this stuff. To other people. Aside from my MacBook, given to me from my wife, this is the biggest Mac-related gift I’ve ever received. I’m still in shock, to tell the truth.

Now, you might think this was just a coincidence. That my giving music and receiving an iPod are completely unrelated. But if that IS what you think, then you’ve obviously missed the last two posts. There is a direct link between what we give and what we receive, people, and even though it’s not always clear or in proportion (which is a good thing), it’s there. It exists. I’m convinced of it.

My hope is that some of you reading this will be changed as I’ve been changed. Will stop looking at your life as what you don’t have, but see what you DO have. And then you’ll take the next step to release your white-knuckled grip on your STUFF and give some of it away. Sacrificially. Passionately. Immediately.

Because the mysterious truth about how giving works has already been clearly stated:

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

– Kevin

Give It Away: The Giving Experiments (part 2)

As I considered the idea of passionate giving, I asked myself, “What am I passionate about?” Well, if you’ve ever been to my house a quick glance around my office answers that question. It’s books. I’m passionate about Books. I love to read. A lot.

That’s when I came up with a plan.

As a longtime member of “PaperBackSwap.com”:http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=2&r_by=jackardiac, I’m constantly mailing books to other members in exchange for credits. I can then use these credits to request books that I want to read (and keep). So I decided I would conduct an experiment. Instead of the standard exchange where I’d get a credit for each book I send out, I decided I would start giving away extra books to requestors, at no charge to them. Just to see what would happen.

I began with a total of 6 credits in my account. On my next incoming book request, I made my unheard of offer to the requestor: “Feel free to choose 2 more books. On the house.” I explained that I’d send them some of MY credits to reimburse them, and they’d end up getting 3 books for the cost of 1 credit. Granted, it cost me 2 of my own credits and a few extra cents to ship ‘em via Media Mail, but the benefits quickly became clear. Not only would I get those 3 credits BACK when they made their requests, but I’d feel good, knowing I was able to give books away, showing a total stranger some unmerited favor and kindness.

So I did this repeatedly, giving people extra books as my personal credit amount would allow. You’ll recall how I started with 6 credits? Well, within 3 short weeks of this giving spree I ended up with a total of 21 credits in my account. Twenty-one! That was more than I’d ever seen at one time in my entire 3 years of being a site member!

How did this happen? Well, for one thing, a lot of the requestors went on to pick MORE than the extra books I offered to cover. So just making the offer it resulted in more books being requested in the end, which meant more credits for me to share. Secondly, and more interestingly, I had a sudden increase in book requests. More and more people were requesting books, so I was suddenly receiving a windfall of credits.

I’ve since found I don’t even have to make the OFFER to get this giving stuff to work. Sometimes just the THOUGHT ALONE is enough to jump start things. Just last Friday night I was looking at my account and saw I was down to a measly 5 credits. I thought to myself “Man, looks like it’s time for me to give some books away.” The very next day I received an e-mail from a woman who sent me a list of 11 books she wanted, and was wondering if I’d be willing to “make a deal” with her.

I was. 11 books for the price of 5. It’ll be interesting to watch my credit amount soar once again (and I fully expect it will).

Kevin

Update: Just this week I had another example of how outrageous giving resulted in amazing results. I had a request come in from a club member named Kathleen, and I made the same offer to her: pick an extra book on me. She did, and we thankful for it. As I later browsed her Wishlist (books she’d like to receive some day, but is in a waiting line for each one), I noticed she was wishing for Max Lucado’s “Fearless.”

I had received that very book back in August as a blog reviewer, and was kind of underwhelmed by it. Because I had underlined in it, however, I wasn’t able to put it in the system for other people to request it. When I saw it was on her wishlist, however, I wrote to her and offered it to her for free, if she was interested in it (rather than her having to wait months or years for her request to rise to the top of the queue). I also offered her my copy of his book, “Facing Your Giants.”

She graciously accepted my offer. So in essence she was going to get 4 books for me for the cost of 1 credit. Not a bad deal. But then the unexpected happened.

You see, Kathleen decided to browse MY Wishlist as well, and in doing so she found that SHE in turn had 2 of the books I’ve been wishing for (but was facing a long wait in the queue.) And since they weren’t entered into the system, she was free to offer them to me outright as well, without charging me a single credit.

So… here’s the recap. She requests one book, and winds up with four, skipping a long wait for two of them. I, in return, will receive two books on my wishlist (which I’d have ALSO been waiting a long time to receive) for the cost of nothing.

See how that works?

Even if we don’t fully understand HOW outrageous giving works, we can still understand and practice this truth: It Works. And it works wonders, often in unexpected ways.

(More to come, so stay tuned.)

Give It Away: The Giving Experiments (part 1)

Something interesting has been happening in my life the past few months, and I think it’s time I shared it with you guys. In fact, I think it would be good if I shared it with as many people as possible. To be honest, it’s still a bit confusing, ’cause the phenomenon is kinda mind-blowing, but I’ll do what I can to summarize it in plain English.

The bottom line? When you give from the heart you will reap a reward. Every single time.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m an extreme giver by heart. I don’t know how I came to be this way (aside from the grace of God), but as I grew up I quickly learned that I REALLY like to give stuff to other people. Whether it’s my time, my resources, my friendship, whatever – I just love sharing what God’s given me.

As I’ve been establishing Mills Creative Minds and preparing to be in a position to give in a BIG way (visit The Vision section at Mills Creative Minds for more info), I’m learning how to handle money wisely when it comes to generous giving. I’ve also studied giving in general, as well as the harvest principle of sowing and reaping.

I think one of the most overlooked (yet key) elements to effective giving is giving away things that we’re passionate about, in the specific AREAS that our passion is in. It’s almost as if our giving is “supercharged” when we make a point to give PASSIONATELY.

Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you. So here’s a few personal examples from the past few months. Read ‘em and make your own conclusion.

In late August Kim and I received an e-mail from some friends detailing a tragedy they were going through with their youngest son. Under 3 years old, and he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. 3 years old. Can you imagine the terror they must have felt as parents? Well, that’s what went through MY mind. So Kim and I looked at our bank account and talked about what we could give to them to help. They weren’t ASKING for money, but I figure the medical bills they were going to be facing would be significant. So after a few days of talking it over, we decided to send them $500.

Now, that’s a lot of money. But again, when it comes to medical bills? That might barely make a dent. So we sent that to them in August, and didn’t think anything more of it. Until November. Because that’s when we received an unexpected check (from a source completely unrelated to our friends) in an amount slightly greater than $5,000. You read that right. That’s a 5, with four zeros tacked onto the end. Now THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a considerable amount of money. Quite a bit more than the $500 seed I had apparently planted.

Now, I must admit that I didn’t see a link between the giving and receiving until a few days afterwards. And even when I DID think about it, I kind of brushed it off as a coincidence. The only thing that piqued my curiosity was the fact that I had read somewhere about how we can expect to be blessed tenfold what we give. But I think this is in reference to giving to God, and I certainly didn’t expect it would be so literal. Or so relatively quick. If this was the only anecdote I had to share, it wouldn’t hold much water.

Don’t worry, though. I have a handful of other interesting stories to share.

Kevin

Book Fair Kills: November 2009 (the List)

This was my first Lubbock Book Fair to attend, and it was quite awesome. They’re doing it again in February, and Half Price! So for all you locals who missed it this year – now you have no excuse. And without further delay, below is the list of my Book Fair Kills this time around.

– Kevin

Fiction:
The Mountain King – Rick Hautala
The Bradbury Chronicles – Stories in Honor of Ray Bradbury
Contest – Matthew Reilly
Ice Station – Matthew Reilly
Scarecrow – Matthew Reilly
(I always buy Reilly’s books because they are, without question, some of the most enjoyable action-packed stories I’ve ever read)
Breakout – Richard Stark
Flash Fiction – 72 Very Short Stories

Writing:
The First Five Pages – Noah Lukeman
No Plot? No Problem! – Baty
The Big Book of How To Say It Best – Jack Griffin & Robbie Miller Kaplan
Fiction Writer’s Brainstormer – Smith
Slang and Euphemism – Richard A. Spears
Word Power Quiz Book

Money & God:
The Treasure Principle – Randy Alcorn
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff About Money – Richard Carlson, Ph. D.
The Money Answer Book – Dave Ramsey
Generous Living – Dayton
My Money and God – Hastings
God Is My CEO – Larry Julian
Obedience: The Key to Prosperity – Wayne Coleman
Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God – Francis Frangipane
Wisdom for the Way – Charles R. Swindoll
Grace for the Moment – Max Lucado
Praying God’s Will for Your Life – Stormie Omartain
The Power of Praying Together – Stormie Omartain, Jack Hayford

Baby Sleep Books:
Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child – Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
Sweet Dreams: A Pediatrician’s Secrets – Fleiss

Creativity:
The Artist’s Soul – Linda Coons
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
Breathe In, Breathe Out – James E. Loehr
Introducing Mind & Brain – Agnus Gellatly and Oscar Zarate
Brainpower – Laureli Blyth
Inventions and Patents – Steve Barbarich
How to Sell & Promote Your Idea, Project or Invention – Reece A. Franklin

Book Fair Kills: November 2009.

undefined