Boy Meets Girl - A Shoe Love Story

It’s our 18^th month anniversary of marriage, and we believe it’s important to continue dating each other while you’re married, even if it’s simple (cues Lauryn Hill’s “The Sweetest Thing”). 

Relationships are supposed to fun, challenging and life-giving. 

Maybe you're in a rut and looking to spice things up. We have a few, easy steps (for husbands and wives) that will keep the flame burning in your heart  and marriage.  It goes a little something like this…

Try a coffee date. It's simple and sweet.

Girls love flowers.

Wear some nice cologne (preferably her favorite scent that drives her crazy!

Make him say "WOW!" when you step out of the car.

Allow him to see your inner and natural beauty.

Listen intently and stay engaged in the conversation.

Speak each other's love language. 

Hold each other close and gaze into each other's eyes

Walk hand in hand, heart to heart, forever.

Need a few more tips? Try these:

A Guys's Guide to Dating His Wife

1. Be romantic.

2. Be present.

3. Be FLY!

4. Be yourself.

How to Date Your Husband...for life.

1. Be open

2. Be flirty

3. Be beautiful inside and out

4. Just be… allow him to lead. It’s your time to relax and savor the moment.

We'd love to hear your ideas for dating your spouse. Feel free to share them for a chance to win a new pair of Testosterone shoes, courtesy of Bronx Diba Luchiny Shoes!

Enter here for a chance to win a pair of Testosterone Shoes like Kenny is wearing.
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10,000 Reasons

"Bless the Lord, Oh my soul!

Oh my soul!

Worship His Holy Name.

Sing like never before,

Oh my soul.

I'll worship Your Holy name!"

The aforementioned lyrics are from a very familiar worship song by Matt Redman entitled "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)." Like many songs, I'd heard this one a hundred times, thought it was a nice but hadn't really embraced it as my heart song. All of that changed when Christia and I were in San Diego on our "baby moon" and we visited The Rock Church.

As we walked through the doors of the sanctuary, you could just feel the love and presence of God even before the worship team began. Every song on their set list was awesome! When they started playing the introduction to "10,000 Reasons," the song came alive in me, and I've been singing it ever since. 

Like many of you, we have so much to be thankful for. But I think sometimes we forget to count our blessings while we're on the journey.

Listed below are a few of the 10,000+ reasons I bless the Lord:

1. I am loved.
God reminds me of this simple, but profound truth everyday through the Word, in worship, through my marriage and other godly relationships (family, friends, co-workers).

2. I am forgiven.
For years, I lived under an umbrella of shame, oppression and defeat but those layers are coming off. He's given me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3b).

3. I am free.
My heart has been set on fire, opening my eyes to the truth and beauty around me and in me. Instead of living in fear, I am free to live, I am free to love, I am free to dance, I am free to sing and on and on! (If you've ever been in any form of bondage, you know freedom feels so good!)

What are your 10,000 reasons? Take a moment and share them with us. Feel free to post them in the comments section below. Let's see if we can actually get 10,000 reasons posted! :)

Bethel Music Worship Nights Recap

I've been a big fan of Bethel Music for a few years now. I wanna say my bro, Ryan Williams, introduced me to their music through William Matthews' song "Deep Cries Out." He thought it would be a great song for us to sing on our worship team, and I loved the lyrics and the song's energy.

My wife was the one that introduced me to Bill Johnson's teachings (Senior Pastor of Bethel Church) and I was blown away by the revelation he was sharing, specifically on the reality of heaven on earth.

Then I discovered that Jesus Culture was also a part of Bethel's ministry. I was like "Who are these people and what is in the water at Bethel?!" Lol! How is it that all of these people are living in such a confidence of who God is and flowing with this kind of power, love and revelation? I honestly believe the answer is in their pursuit.

Our friend, Courtney Hand, sent my wife and I the new Bethel song, "You Make Me Brave" via Facebook as we were contemplating the decision to buy a house or not. She couldn't have sent that song at a better time. We had a lot of decisions to make and that song was God's reminder that He loved us, He was for us and He would empower us to make sound decisions without fear or worry.

We played the song over and over for weeks. Then, our friends from New Jersey, surprised us with an advanced copy of the "You Make Me Brave" CD! What?! They went to the New York Worship Night session and told us how awesome it was.

In my heart, I was hoping and praying they would bring the Worship Night to St. Louis. My prayers were answered!

They posted the May schedule on Facebook and St. Louis was on the list!

Another friend of ours, Sarah Vaughn (former St. Louis native and now Bethel Church Staff Member), posted on Facebook that the Bethel Music team was looking for people to help promote the event and spread the word. I inboxed Sarah and connected me with their promo team.

I got all the information and was eager to share it with our Pastors and Worship Team.

Honestly, as a worship team, we were on a plateau and really needed something like this. Plus, it's always good to get outside of your own box and see what other worship teams are doing to get inspiration and impartation.

We had roughly 20 worship team members, family and friends join us at Grace Church (the host church for the Worship Night). It was great seeing everyone laughing, smiling and standing with great expectation for the worship experience.

And now for the part you've been waiting for....

Last night was the final stop of Bethel Music's Worship Nights for the month of May. For the past month, worship leaders: Amanda Cook, Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger, Matt Stinton and Hunter Thompson have been pouring their hearts out in worship, along with a great team of musicians, intercessors and other ministry leaders, throughout the Midwest.

I wish I'd taken more pics and videos but honestly, I had one thing on my mind and that was to encounter the presence of God.

This wasn't your typical concert or show. This was singing, dancing, worshipping, praising, revelation, hope being restored, deliverance, gifts being stirred and a host of other things, individually and corporately. The experience lasted close to 3 hours but it seemed like there was just a seamless flow from song to song to revelation and declaration.

They sang songs from Bethel's large repertoire including: Our Father, Give Me Jesus, One Thing Remains, I Will Exalt, You Make Me Brave and more.

I really loved the spontaneous worship moments. Each worship leader held their own and flowed prophetically in song, declaration, visions, prayer. And they were "walking heavy..." (That's a Kenny-ism meaning they were really ministering specifically to the needs of the people.)

It was awesome to see God ministering to our team (But that's from what I could see because half the time I was GONE in my own zone with the Lord....lol). I loved seeing my wife worship. There's something super attractive about seeing your wife encounter Jesus. ;-)

When we were leaving the concert, she and I were sharing our experiences from that night. God really reminded us of who we are in Him, our role as believers and the power and authority we've been given to see heaven invade earth. These were all things we've heard in the past but it was like we got a gentle reminder last night.

Today, I'm still in awe from that experience. I spent much of the day, feasting on the word and some of the tunes we heard last night. We bought like 4 CDs last night! lol! Hey, when you encounter God's presence like that, you gotta sow an offering.

If Bethel Music Worship Nights is ANYWHERE in your vicinity over the next few months, make plans to be there and invite all your friends and family. You guys will enjoy it and leave empowered!

If anyone has attended one of the worship nights thus far, what was your experience like? I'd love to hear what you guys heard or saw.

Out of Darkness, Into the Marvelous Light

I was driving to the bookstore and in my head, I heard the theme song from a very popular movie. I looked up the tune on YouTube and started watching the video. The music was playing, but I had to cut it off halfway through. Something just wasn't right...

Then, these words flowed from my lips:

"Thank you for calling me out of darkness and into your marvelous light...

Thank you for calling me out of darkness and into your marvelous light...

Into your marvelous light..

Into your marvelous,

Into your marvelous,

Into your marvelous light..."

I kept singing it over and over until I reached the parking lot of the bookstore. I went inside, grabbed me a chai tea latte and began to write this blog post.

Music is a very powerful tool. It's one of the most beautiful expressions of art given to us by our Heavenly Father. But, in the wrong hands, it can become a weapon of mass destruction.

Lately, my ears have been very sensitive to music. It's like I have a new filter and my spirit can't (and won't) tolerate some things anymore. Even this past week, I've had to make some tough decisions, musically but obedience to God is more important to me.

Many of us who are big music fans have a tendency to get "lost" in the beat, often ignoring the lyrics. I'm guilty of this myself. In this movie's theme song, it wasn't necessarily the lyrics but the melody that didn't sit well with me.

Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. My wife and I couldn't finish part 1 of this particular movie series because it was too weird. So we knew part 2 would be even worse.

What saddens me is that this song was written by some of our favorite artists. All of which who seem to be forging down an even darker path.

Matthew 15:11 says "It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

If someone has a "dark heart," darkness comes out. The same is true for someone who's heart is full of light - light proceeds from him or her. It's like the other saying"You shall know a tree by the fruit it bears." (Matthew 7:16)

I believe those words "thank you for calling me out of darkness" were from my soul, reminding me of those days I wallowed in the night: my bouts of loneliness, depression, attempted suicide, identity and low self-esteem issues. But it began to rejoice in the goodness of the Lord by saying the latter "...and into your marvelous light" - finally being free to live and love without fear or condemnation.

The Real Love Project is a snapshot of my journey from darkness into light - chronicling my days of looking for love in all the wrong places and finally being awakened by the One who loved me first.

I can't wait for you to hear this record.

#TWYL

I know many of you have been wondering "What does #TWYL mean?" Shhh....it's a secret! But....since I'm a nice guy, I'll give you a hint.

Hint #1: It begins with a 'T' (does that help? lol)

Hint #2:  It's sorta like Why, What or Where but refers to time.

Hint #3: What rhymes with glue but starts with a 'y' and ends with a 'u'?

Hint #4: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and _____?

The first person to correctly answer wins a prize!!! 

Ready? Set? GO!!!

I'm a Nominee for The 2014 RFT Music Awards!

Last week, my wife and I were looking at a few homes with our realtor when I checked my phone and saw that our good friend, Theresa Payne, tagged me in this Facebook post:

"My fourth year in a row being nominated for The RFT Music Awards and my bro Kenneth is too!!!

What an honor! Showcase is gonna be amazing this year!!"

In my mind, I didn't have a lot of shows last year so I was shocked to receive such an honor. Nevertheless, I was excited and grateful to be included once again in the R&B category with some of my fellow St. Louis artists including: Teresa Jenee, Coultrain, SZA and Theresa Payne. 

Two years ago, I was a nominee in the same category and actually performed "That's When You Love" for the first time at Lola for The RFT Music Showcase. Now, here I am, two years later and preparing to release the single and music video!

(Pic of me before The 2012 RFT Music Showcase)

A lot has happened in the past two years, some of which I've discussed in previous blogs.

I decided to stop being so "all over the place" and really focus on finishing the album, develop my team, refine my sound and only do performances that make sense. While I missed be out and about so much, I learned that I really needed (and need) that time away.

Being an artist involves a lot of mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and financial effort. And to do it at this level and intensity requires a lot of dying to oneself, perseverance, tenacity, drive, ambition, steadfastness and so on. 

Kyle Kelley, incredible musician, brother and co-leader of Chris & Kyle with True Spirit, said this powerful statement years ago at a musicians' clinic: "When you're ready, they'll come to you." Those words have stayed with me over the years. Another quote I live by is "Success is when preparation meets opportunity," (Henry Hartman).

I'm ready for what lies ahead of me. The years of preparation have brought me to this moment and I'm ready to seize it. 

The link to The RFT Music Awards article can be found here. 

I'll keep you guys posted over the next few weeks as we get closer to the voting process and showcase details. As Theresa stated, the showcase is gonna be awesome! Help us support the St. Louis local music scene by voting and attending the showcase. 

The Morning After the Show

It's 6:30 am and I'm up getting dressed for church. 

Today is Easter Sunday. Resurrection Sunday. 

I've only been sleep for a few hours but I'm still flying high off of last night's show and gathering of friends. It was a great night of music, love, laughs and precious memories that I'll cherish forever.

It's amazing what takes place in an environment where love lives and thrives. I've always said that I want my shows to be a place where people can think, be inspired, and hopefully love more than ever before. I believe this happened last night.

I didn't do this alone. I want to thank my amazingly supportive wife, Christia, my band members for the night, Andrew Gibson and Isaiah Cox, my Hope Church family, my coworkers from Vantage Credit Union, and all my friends who came near and far to support us. 

It was so cool to hear people singing songs you wrote that were once just ideas! It was cool to have conversations before and after the show that ask intriguing questions like "What inspired Kenny to write that song?" It was amazing to see families rekindled. And it was beautiful to witness the power of love through music.

I love each and every one of you for believing in me. I don't take it for granted.

May this be a day full of love, laughs and precious moments of reflection for you and your family on this Resurrection Sunday. 

Kenny.