American Dates

If I told you would you believe me?

This has been a facinating 6 months. Way back a friend reintroduced me to Michael Card's music (thanks Nigel) and so God hauled me back into the fold after wandering for a while. I joined the Michael Card forum and immediately got friendly with TJ Draper amongst others. It's funny how you are more likely to trust people you have contact with than strangers. On the MC board I was introduced to Jadon Lavik, who had a myspace. Then another artist who also had a myspace. So upon further investigation I created my own myspace and stuck some rough recordings on. Soon four people were to enter my life and turn it around like I had never imagined. Living Hope, an acoustic duo from Hull (Robin & Squil) and J. Brian Hill soon became my confidents and mentors and best of all friends. Mikael Nordin introduced me to the joys of my guitar again. And all of them helped me to complete 'Design For Life'.

So what's happened since?

Well coming up I'm in Hull assisting in worship leading with Living Hope and again in March for a joint gig. J. Brian is coming to the UK for a solo tour and is doing dates in Hull and Skegness as part of his itinery. But to top it all off, as if that wasn't enough, Brian's invited us all over to Chicago to perform at his church. I'll be going in May 19th-22nd and will be participating in worship as well as the Concert on the Hill at Sanctuary Church Batavia, Chicago. To say I'm excited is the understatement of the decade. I only wish Tamara were coming with me. God has blessed me greatly and I am in awe of His wonderful presence in my life. He has brought me from the depths of despair into His marvellous light.

Design For Life - Steve's debut album release

It's finally happened after much soul searching and many hours of advice and sitting in front of recording equipment. I have mixed, re-mixed and re-mixed again until I was persuaded to leave them alone. So now you can hear it and if you so desire, buy it. CD Baby is truly a fantastic site who offer great advice and an excellent service for clients. When I bought J. Brian's CD from them their emails throughout the delivery process had me in fits of laughter.

I am so grateful to my God for giving me the songs and opportunities to share them. Our God is an awesome God. I am also indebted to J. Brian Hill, Robin & Helen Thompson (Living Hope), Mikael Nordin and of course Tamara my beautiful wife, for their advice and support throughout the recording process. Pots&Pans is born and I can't wait to begin the next project.

More of You and less of me

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
—Romans 12:2

One of the most difficult steps of faith is summed in these few words. It's like walking on water to us. Yet in reality it is similar to the faith we put in ou rcars everytime we venture onto a busy road. We trust that if we need to stop our car has the ability to stop us. The problems arise when we don't take time to know our car and it's limitations. Or we decide we know the road better than we actually do. That's when it all goes pear-shaped.

Our trust in God has to be like the simple faith a child exhibits when he jumps into our arms from the fifth step of the stairs. There is no doubt in the mind of that child that we will allow him to be hurt. It may seem scary, but he jumps regardless. Are we allowing our decisions to be guided by the doubts and questions or do we trust God to guide us and keep us safe.

We don't have blind faith in our cars. Equally God wants us to be informed in our faith. He has given us the Bible to outline His mighty works. His attributes are there for us to discover daily. Our faith will grow as our understanding of God grows. We will never know all there is to know about God whilst we walk this earth. But there's nothing stopping us trying to find out more. When our minds are receptive to God's word speaking to us through scripture and daily life, then and only then are we allowing God to transform us. To make us into what he desired us to be from the beginning of creation.

A Busy New Year Ahead

Happy New Year everyone. I know it's a bit late, but better late than never. It's been an eventful end to last year. I've met some great friends through the latter part of last year and am looking ahead to working with them in sharing the gospel this year. Future gigs include:

• 29th Jan - Victoria Dock Church - Hull - 10:30am
• 5th Feb - Victoria Dock Church - Hull - 10:30am
• 25th Mar - The Goodfellowship Inn - Hull 7:30pm
• 31st Mar - St. Clement's College Hall - Skegness - 7:30pm

There are recording plans for Easter and Pots&Pans is branching out. Started as a silly production label name for the Design For Life album, it may have it's first experience at producing a professional recording. I've gone into partnership with Mark Humphries of Faithful Sounds in Skegness (my sound maestro). So that may be something to look for in the future. I intend to release simple beginnings properly, which will be entirely an acoustic album. The original recordings were done with poor quality equipment in far from suitable conditions. So it'll be great to re-record them.

Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas to anyone who happens upon this little blog. I pray you will find peace and love at this rather hectic festive season. I hope you enjoy the sharing of family and friends quality time. But most of all, I hope you find Jesus in the heart of all the tradition and celebration.

Abundant Blessings

What a fortnight!

What a fortnight!

Panto! Carol Service! Radio Interview! Inspection! Wow! It's been a whirlwind of highs and lows.

The schools panto that I helped to organise went well despite some SCARY rehearsals. The kids did themselves proud and produced another successful show.

In the midst of the preparation for the panto I did the interview for Sue Edwards' "Sounds Like Faith" on BBC Radio Lincolnshire. I felt so much at peace during the interview that when it went to air last Sunday I didn't recognise myself. I thank God for giving me the words to say and pray that someone out there received hope or that someone will come to recognise Jesus as their Saviour.

If anyone reads this before tonight - I'll finish off the blog later.

And there's more........

Snow Yay!

Our first snow of the winter. Jack was really excited and wanted to build a snowman. A bit difficult in a bare covering. I do think Tamara was more excited though. She kept on gazing out of the window last night and looking disappointed when there was no snow. She took the picture shortly after the snow started to fall.

I love snow. How pure and clean it looks. It really warms my heart. It reminds of the promise God gave us and fulfilled in his Son Jesus.

Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Isaiah 1:18

Even though it didn't stay long, it was lovely to see it. I can't wait for the next snow.

Forum move - back to original site.

Please note the Prayer and Praise Forum for stevelowndes.co.uk has closed. This is because I no longer have my own forum. Instead I've begun one with Silver Poet who like me missed the fellowship that existed on the Michael Card forum (that's closed as well!). Registration is easy and relatively quick.

The url is http://closerwithgod.createaforum.com/

I do hope you find time to post or support prayer requests, as and when you are able. We have left open the other sections of the forum for general posts. In fact we've reviewed the whole structure. So take a look and make suggestions.

Have you spotted the new links?

I thought it pertinent to add links to the sites of some folks who are assisting me at this present time as a sign of my gratitude. So I'll list them in oder of my 'meeting' (in the cyber sense) them. I discovered them or they me on myspace a place I can not cease to be grateful for. Thank you Lord for leading me there.

Mikael is a Swedish singer songwriter who's music captured my attention on the first playback. It's rare for me to say that, since I'm a poor listener. (What a confession for a music teacher) I'm too fidgetty and always want to play rather than sit and receive. Word of Life is a song of his I could listen to over and over again. This man has hidden depths. Take time to discover his music.

Living Hope are a husband and wife duo currently leading and partaking in worship at Beverley Minister. Robin and Squil blend to make beautifully lilting music that is easy on the ear. I hope to be doing a gig swap with them in the new year so watch this space. Meantime check out their music on myspace.

Brian is an accomplished (nay award winning) worship leader who writes great praise and worship songs. He has two current CDs with a third 'Living Hope' due for release this month. He is currently working along side All God's Children International, an adoption and relief organisation. The new CD has some awesome songs on, I've had a preview! Brian has been more than helpful in improving my current work and is responsible for my music playing on Windy City Radio.

There are others, namely Andi from Lurgin N.I. but I'll save him for later.

I'm on Windy City Radio

Hey fabulous news

I'm on Windy City radio.

It's great to have a vehicle to give more people access to my songs. I hope and pray they will bless whoever listens to them.

I must offer my utmost gratitude to J. Brian Hill and Kurt (AKA micboy) for promoting and playing (respectively) my music. May God add a bountious blessing to you and your families.

14 Years and still in love

Today is my 14th Wedding anniversary and I am so proud to say I still love my beautiful wife Tamara today. It's true what folk say - love does grow. It's easy to fall into habits over the years and take each other for granted. I'm not going to pretend it's all been easy - anyone who does is either deluded or very fortunate - but I think our relationship is the strongest it's ever been.

What's the secret?

Honesty and trust. Two words difficult to stick to because there is no place to hide from the truth. We share everything and have only spent a few days apart since our wedding day.

Here's to many more years.

Moving time

Not not a bid to draw you into an emotional debate, even though it has been an emotional day - no, literally a moving day. Mum moved across the other side of the country today. I know, if you're in america that's a plane journey, but I think a four hour drive across archaic roads is far enough away from my mum. She's moved to a nursing home (that seems very professional) just five minutes away from my brother and some of her closest friends. She's been living just ten minutes away from me for a year and a half, but has really only had me as a visitor and so has become lonely and therefore unhappy. My hopes are she will now feel more settled with her friends and my big bro near her.

I really must keep this blog up to date.

Mikael Nordin

Have a listen to this guys music.

It's awesome. A fantastic blend of guitar and vocal. I am so inspired by the sound he creates. It typifies the sound I would love to have for my solo stuff. Full of passion, hunger, the right sort of raw. And a voice to complement so very well with thought provoking lyrics.

Check it out Mikael Nordin's myspace by clicking on the title of the blog entry.