Baroni Bloggin’

This holiday season is a good time for me to take a look back and see where I’ve been.

I think fondly of my travels this year… exciting and fruitful trips to Ukraine, Austria, (twice!)
Italy, (twice!) Greece, and our stateside adventures in North and South Carolina, Tennesee, Texas, Florida, the Worship Encounter in Denver, meeting some new friends in Union, New Jersey and other places that may have slipped my mind, but not my heart.

What a priviledge it is to share my songs and encourage people and hopefully show people that God is a Loving, Faithful Father.

Also, I have released 3 (yes 3!) new CDs, (”This is the Mission”, “Songpainters Favorite Hymns Istrumental” and the praise and worship collection “Captured By your Presence”). I have overseen a total makeover of the web-site (thanks Gary Stripling and the Management Agency), watched my youngest daughters approach their 20th birthday (they are twins!) and watch my oldest daughter Bethany and her husband Ben grow closer in their 1 1/2 years of wedded bliss.

I have worked some on my first book, celebrated my 26th wedding anniversary with the love of my life, Rita, with fear and trepidation I entered the 21st century with a myspace page (www.myspace.com/davidbaronimusic), seen the release of my music on Itunes and started making available soundtrax and singles for digital downloads on my website (www.davidbaroni.com). I even started an online music store where more than a millions songs are available for download (www.burnlounge.com/davidbaroni)

Can’t forget the fun and hard work at my friend LaMar Boschman’s annual Worship Institute. There are 2 songs LaMar and I co-wrote on his new CD “So Amazing” available at www.worshipinstitute.com

If you have read this far, thanks for your encouragement this year. Pray for us for 2007- we already have trips scheduled to Greece, Nigeria, Kuwait, possibly Latvia, Ukraine, and the Phillipines and Korea. I have more than a CD’s worth of special new songs. Pray for the funds to be provided for our travels and recording.

Godrest and Godspeed,
David Baroni

It’s the night before the night before Christmas (anybody see Deja Vu?- seems like I have asked that before!)

You would think that I would write about the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the ongoing incarnation of the Lord in and through His people by His Spirit (and I may yet write about that soon) but…

As I was walking today listening to the new worship Institute CD “So Amazing” (available at www.worshipinstitute.com), I started thinking about how the musicians flow together as a team. It’s like a basketball, football or soccer game. Each person in the band (on the team) has a responsibility to play their part- sometimes the bass player will do a daring, wild run within the context of the structure of the song and it will just… work!

Sometimes Chris Lofton (on the U. of Tennessee men’s basketball team) will make a good pass to one of the big guys in the paint and they will slam it home for two points- then other times (like today against Texas), Chris will back up and shoot a three from the gym parking lot to put his team ahead!

Sometimes we as believers, as athletes, as musicians, as participants in life try to play it too safe- I think we miss out on God showing off through us when we do that.

What are some of the keys in playing sports and music sucessfully?

Know your stengths and weaknesses, not trusting too much in your strengths and not being afraid of failure.
(God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness)

Be tuned in to what the other team members are doing

Know your instrument (position)

Gain experience and learn from losing

Listen to the coach (the Holy Spirit)

Rise above the low expectations of others (and sometimes ourselves) \

And…

Being willing to take a risk… hit the wrong note, go for the steal and fall on your face to help your team.

In 2007 dare to live in color!!

God is cheering you on.

David Baroni

Hello friends.
It has been quite a year- some ups and some downs. Life is wonderful, beautiful, and sometimes painful. I and my extended family said goodbye to the oldest sibling, my brother Neil, a little more than a year ago.
Neil taught me a lot about music… he played his inimitable jazz piano patiently while I plunked along learning how to play bass. He had a hard life., yet faced it with an uncanny sense of comic timing and humor.. he will be missed.

A year ago Rita’s father, Bobby Phillips, passed away after a few month battle with cancer.
We were amazed at the outpouring of love from the Alabama community that he lived in.
We heard stories of this former alcoholic receiving heart-wrenching phone calls and visits from desperate addicts in the middle of the night.

We also heard about many random acts of kindness that Bob performed… Rita spoke eloquently and powerfully at his funeral service about the God that Bobby came to know and is now, finally, rejoicing with.

We have had many ups this year as well! Trips abroad, celebrations of birthdays, Rita and I celebrating our 25th anniversary in Austria, Greece and Italy!

Our new web-site has done wonderfully with many repeat visitors. I released 3 CDs this year-
“This is the Mission”, “Captured By Your Presence” and “SongPainters: Favorite Hymns Instrumental”, Ben and Bethany celebrated their first wedding anniversary,
Charity came home from 5 months in Greece and Celeste is almost done with her sophomore year of college- making her the best-educated Baroni to this point!

Rita and I are embracing life and receiving grace to grow in our marriage… I am finding that I have so much to be grateful for- and that the little things are huge!

I agree with George Bailey- It’s a Wonderful Life!
Emmanuel has come and He brought His Kingdom with Him!
David Baroni

A happy customer who ordered the “10 for $100″ Christmas FingerPainting CDs writes:

…Thanks, David. You made Christmas shopping easy and the CD has been a
huge hit. In fact, I gave one last night to our daughter’s in-laws,
where we’re visiting, and they both lit up and said, “Oh, David Baroni!
We know him!”…

Go to the online store at www.davidbaroni.com
and order in time for Christmas!

Blessings,
David B.

My friend, Pastor Wade Trimmer in Augusta Georgia wrote a booklet about the difference between living under brass heavens and living under an open heaven.

Those who are religious and yet not open to the supernatural expressions of the Kingdom of God live under a “brass heaven”. These folks are comfortable being comfortable, and have no tolerance for the wild and wooly, sometimes messy, “uncontrollable” life of a believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit. That kind of “faith” is codified and delineated and “safe”, even if it is dead!

Those who embrace the gospel of the Kingdom, (as Dudley Hall says: “Jesus said “I have come to earth and I have brought my kingdom with me!” “), live with the faith that the heavens are open, prayers are answered, God desires a dynamic, REAL relationship with His people.

The Word of God is not just sayings in a dusty book, but the ardent and powerful articulations of the God of the Universe Who is in love with His crowning creation, man!

Living under an open heaven doesn’t mean that we always have the answers, it doesn’t mean that everybody who is prayed for is healed, or that God’s people never have tough times. Indeed, Jesus said: “In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The open heaven does mean that God will make Himself known to those that He gives the grace to seek Him, and that “all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those called according to His purposes.” (Romans 8:28)

God has called us into an eternal adventure of intimacy with Christ! Because Emmanuel has come, we live under an open heaven. God is real!!

Godspeed and Godrest,
David Baroni