About the song 'Covenant'

A few years ago, I was asked to sing a song for some friends of mine at Harvest Church in Conway, Arkansas.  Dean and Connie Dickenson, who were to be married, asked me and I decided to write a song and sing it.  I knew immediately what I wanted to write about.  I wanted to write about how marriage is a Covenant between a man and a woman which conveys the Covenant that God has with us, as his own, and how that that bond is never to be broken.  Marriage today is taken very lightly and it causes great pain with children of divorced parents.  It causes financial loss, pain, mental issues, etc and leaves a trail of misery behind.  Sure, God can heal that pain and time helps, but God's plan is best.  God's plan is beautiful if we would just follow it. 

Dean and Connie were married and I sang/played this song for them at Harvest Church in Conway, Arkansas.  Mike Velte seconded me on guitar. Dean came up to me afterward's with tears in his eyes telling me how much it meant to him.  A few years later, Dean passed away on Dec 11, 2011.  His family and friends were crushed.   But the great news is that Dean was a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ.  He was a fairly new convert and follower and had directed more energy and passion into serving Jesus Christ in the last few years of his life than most do in a lifetime.  A few months later, with Dean's wife Connie's help, we finished Dean's Testimony.  Dean had started it and never finished it himself so it was our honor to finish it for him.  The song and Testimony I hope will be a witness to everyone who reads it.

• Dean's Testimony - PDF
• Covenant Song (click on it in the Jukebox player)

Fellow Artists

Mike 'Madman' Velte

If you hear a song of mine that has some great lead guitar on it, it is MOST likely Mike.  He is my main collaborator on the Music side of things.  We've written a few song's together as well. He's the lead singer on songs like  'Praise Him with Repentance', 'Don't throw it away' and 'Crushed'.   He sings some background vocals for me as well.   My wife made me watch that Chick flick, 'Music and Lyrics'.  As dumb as that movie was, I'd have to say that If I'm the Lyrics, He's the Music.  I usually get the main music framework done, and then Mike goes in and really fine tunes it.   

Mike has played for various other bands including "Bleeding Ink".  He's currently playing for 'Breaking Eden'.  (Breaking Eden Myspace Profile)

Kevin 'Preacher Boy' Atkinson

Kevin has been a good friend of mine for years and plays drums like nobody's business.  He carries drumsticks around in his pockets, constantly thinks about drums, dreams about them, eats them for all I know.  He's 'Animal' on the muppets only crazier.  He paid thousands of dollars just to have his current drum shells, all cut from one single tree.  Oh, and he's the Associate Pastor of our church, so you can't cuss around him.  God thing I don't cuss anyway.  Kevin played for a band called 'Bleeding Ink' and is now also in 'Breaking Eden' with Mike.

Eli 'MafiaGuy' Morell

From New Jersey and has the accent to boot.  He's bad on bass.  That means he's good, oh never mind.  A great friend and his wife is on our worship Team and they just had their first baby ever.  That's bad because he has procreated and he's weird, but good because his baby is somehow cute.  He's on the Rhema project and 'Building Buildings'.

Nick Reeves

(Nick and Catie)

Nick is a great friend and superb drummer.  He's on some of the Rhema tracks and plays some mean drums.  Nick's also a fellow geek, so he gets extra props.  He's a networking genius.  Oh and he plays Bass too.  And he's now drumming for a Band called Interstate Buffalo, so check them out!

Shawn 'Capn' Keeter

Shawn is in the National Guard and did two tours in Iraq.  He's a great lead guitarist and good friend.  He rides a motorcycle and flies helicopters which takes him over the top since those are both interests of mine as well.  Shawn played on the Rhema album with Mike on a few songs.  Listen to 'my first love', go towards the end, the dueling guitars are him and Mike.  Cool stuff.

Shawn '#2' Nyman

Shawn laid the bass down on 'Who do you say I am'.  Shawn plays for the worship team at Harvest Church and is a great friend.  I think he could play anything with a string on it, including an old pair of shoes.  He's a great lead guitarist and superb bass player.

Jason 'the Voice' Burton

Jason is the Worship Leader of our church and has thrown down his smooth vocals on a few of the tracks on the Rhema project.  Jason does a superb job as worship leader and is a great friend of mine.  He also plays piano (You can hear him on 'Covenant').   His wife, Amanda, a great singer, is the one that does most of the backup singing (One Mind, Word of God, Miriam's Dance, Psalms 22, etc) on my music.

Mastering

Praise Him with Repentance and Ambre's Song were mastered by Anthony Cassucio of XtremeAudio. Check them out!

My own startup Mastering Studio is RhemaAudio and you can find out more here: RhemaAudio.com

My Favorite Artists

FFH (Jeromy & Jennifer Deibler)

Sonicflood (Rick Heil)

Gary Chapman

Don Francisco

Warren Barfield

Casting Crowns (Mark Hall)

Third Day (Mac Powell)

Twila Paris

Kari Jobe

Paul Overstreet

 

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