06.26.09

The ministry continues to be very blessed with scheduling.  The phones in the office continue to ring and we are now booking 2011 and filling holes in 2010.  Things are going well on the road with the concerts.  We have seen peoples lives changed and seen many people accept Christ so far this year. 

 

I’m getting very antsy to get into the studio to do a new album.  I have some great songs ideas for the album, but I have to put those ideas on hold until we have some extra finances available.

 

A challenge that we are facing right now is with Health Insurance.  So please pray for us as we try to find a plan that works for us at a reasonable cost. 

 

Being that it is summer now, my crew on the road has expanded with my son Chase traveling with me all summer.  Hopefully those of you who have seen or will see this summer will notice how well he does on lighting.  Kelli thinks that I have created a monster since that’s all he thinks about, but I think a “clone” is a better word. (ha-ha)

 

Thanks for keeping up with us.  See ya soon!

05.14.09

We are back from our western tour - and what a tour it was. All of the concerts went fantastic, we had great audiences, but most importantly, several people accepted Christ as their Savior. I will say, it had to be one of the top 5 worst trips mechanically we have ever had. When we are out as much as we are, having breakdowns and other issues is just part of life, but this trip seemed to be one thing after another. First, the fuel pump went out in the middle of Nevada.  The repair shop couldn’t get a new pump fast enough and we had to rent a U-Haul for a few days so that we wouldn’t miss any shows. We then chewed through a brand new pair of tires on the trailer.  We also encountered some electrical problems with the truck  which I was able to fix it pretty quickly.  But then the kicker was on the way home - three hours from the driveway the stupid hitch fell off the truck. What the heck was that about?!?!?!

God always has a reason for everything, I know that and live by it, but I am also human and sometimes struggle with things that happen. I will say that in each situation, He provided a clear path to the right  repair shop and He helped me find the repair that needed done. I always have worked well under pressure, maybe even better under pressure, and I definitely learn a lot and stay sharpened when things happen on the road. But maybe someday we can be blessed with a flawless trip cross country. Until then, I look forward to each challenge that makes each victory better.

The reward isn’t in the victory of the challenge, but the victory in the lives that are changed because God blessed the challenge. Thanks for your time.

04.09.09

“Wow, is God good!”  How many times do we hear people say that and how many times do we use that phrase?  Well….He is.  He is so good and continues to bless us everyday.  I am definitely a ‘glass is half full’ kind of guy and don’t focus on every little bad thing.  We’ve had concerts every week, the calendar is full for the rest of the year, next years calendar is filling up quick, bills are being paid and best of all, lives are being changed.  So, what more could we ask for when God is blessing us on a daily basis?  On the other side of things, I do wish there was two of me and two of Kelli and that we had fifty hours in each day so that we can get everything done that we need to.  At least we are getting it done, but in our own time.

 

We are getting low on a few office supplies (mostly ink), if you feel that this is something that you can and want to help out with, please contact our office by e-mailing (info@chizrider.com) or calling (814)231-8896.

 

Please do remember to pray for us as we are on the road quite a bit.  When you pray for us, please pray for safety and that all the vehicles run smooth with no problems. I also ask that you pray for Kelli while I’m out as she stays home running the office and taking care of all four kids by herself. Thank you for checking in with us, and please feel free to send us a note once in awhile.

03.10.09

God is so much cooler and so much greater to us then what I realize. We had a great tour down south last month. Most of the concerts were full of people, but more importantly, they were full of the Holy Spirit. We met a lot of great people while we were on this trip and we got to see some really cool things. My family did fine while I was gone, but they couldn’t wait to see me when I got home.

God really took care of us (as He always does) and it was evident the last few miles of the trip. When we were about 30 miles from home we realized that there was a problem with the bus.  If it would have happened anywhere else, it would have been fatal. Thankfully, since it happened so close to home I was able to baby it rest of the way and we should be able to fix it before the next trip. It would be easy to be bummed about the problem, but I’m thankful that it happened where it did and that we will be able to fix it on our own.

When I’m on tours like that, it’s easy to focus on the schedule, the bus, the equipment and everything else that I’m dealing with when were out, but where I want to be focused is on ministry and ministry only. God does take care of us - I should always know and trust in that and not worry and take my eyes off of Him for dumb reasons. But even when I do, God prevails and He allows peoples lives to be changed through our ministry. That is sooooo cool.

I love what I do and I’m so glad to know that God is in control.  He has me exactly where I’m supposed to be.  

 

Thanks for your time,

 

Chiz

02.03.09
January was a good month for getting things done.  We have a lot of shows booked for 09 and quite a few projects accomplished this far.  Now our attention is shifting focus to the road for the next three months.  February will take us down south to the warmer weather, March we'll be in the mid-west, and April and May will take us the whole way out west.  Please pray for  safe travels and for overflowing ministry opportunities.  God has been very good to us and I look forward to our next opportunity to serve Him.