Jes Adam

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I am also very excited to announce that my brother, Jeremy, and I are opening Adam Bros. Music and Coffee House in Greenville, IL.  We have been working our tails off in hopes of opening very, very soon.  We are thrilled that God has blessed our efforts and ideas.  It is such a blessing to know that our hard work is paying off.  At one time or another, Greenville played home to all the men in my family.  We love that community and are lucky to place our first store there.  We do not currently have a Grand Opening scheduled, but stay tuned....

I have also completed THREE albums since we last talked.  I have a Christmas Album and two gospel albums currently available.  We are working on adding a "Store" section to the website to allow online purchases.  Stay tuned...

I must run.  There is too much to do today!  I love you all and am truly grateful for your friendship.

11.7.09
Dear Friends!

  The fall is upon us!  At my little home, the leaves are mostly fallen and now coating the lawn making a crunchy exterior on the ground.  We have had many, many rainstorms in the last couple of weeks. Not only did the wind blow off all the leaves, but lots of twigs and branches.  Now, I guess it is time to collect up those twigs and branches for a campfire!  The weather never ceases to amaze me.  Sunshine, rain, wind, snow, sleet, hurricanes, tornados, etc. are all natural occurrences on this wonderful earth that God has created for each of us.  What a wonderful gift!

   I have news to share!  I have recently embarked on a solo ministry!  After my resignation from The Nehrkorns of Marion, IL, I began fulfilling a limited number of solo dates and family dates.  God really blessed those services and laid a new burden on my heart.  I have been blessed with an incredible testimony through my life experiences.  I have recently questioned myself as to why I never share it at the many concerts that I have been a part of over the last 4 years.  Each day brings a new addition to the many miracles that God has done in my life.  I am so grateful for the numerous instances of His Grace and healing touch.  Be on the lookout for additional concert and revival dates.

   I want to encourage you to sign up for the Jes Adam E-Newsletter.  The E-News comes directly to your email inbox every month.  I personally write it and share my experiences from the road.  Please sign up to get the E-Newsletter today.  You will LOVE it.  To sign up, send an email to newsletter@jesadam.com.  You will immediately receive a return email confirming your newsletter registration.  Do it, do it now!

   As I embark on this new journey I ask that you continue to be in prayer for me.  I have many new expenses to endure and duties to assume.  I ask for you to be in prayer for the finances of my ministry, physical needs of the ministry (i.e. equipment, transportation, etc.), and the help that I so desperately need to keep on the road to sharing the Greatest Story.

 God bless you.  Be kind and merciful.  Show love and compassion.  Be Jesus for someone.

-jesAdam

     It appears as though life has become so complicated that I am capable of forgetting about something for over a year!  So much has happened since my last blog entry.  Here is a quick recap:

     After resigning from Forgiven, I have maintained a deep rooted friendship with Cloid and Debbie Baker.  I talk with Deb about once a week.  I love staying connected and cementing our friendship.  They truly are wonderful people with wonderful hearts.  I love them dearly.

     It wasn't in God's plan for me to return to school.  I was repeatedly denied the financial aid that I needed to complete my education.  After prayer and counsel, I decided that I would simplify my life to focus on my calling and my faith.  This is when I became a manager for Family Video.  This was a horrendous decision.  It has been so long since I have been in the typical work force, I forgot how vicious and vindictive people can be.  After nearly a year of employment with Family Video, I left the company and increased my teaching schedule.  Currently, I am teaching around 20 students a week and having a blast.

     I have joined The Nehrkorns of Marion, IL for a number of engagements.  "The Nehrkorns" is a 3 year old, a part-time mixed trio.  Rindy, of the group, has a rich heritage in gospel music.  Her father was been owner and lead singer of The Glorylanders for 50 years.  Justin, Rindy's husband, is a newcomer to the industry and serves as the music leader at his church.  The group also has a bass player and featured singer named Dustin Lemming from Johnston City, IL.  Dustin travels mainly as a soloist in the southern IL area and also plays for The Nehrkorns.

    Friends, to be frighteningly honest, I don't know where my future will take me.  However, I do know that God has called me into this ministry.  I will not depart from my calling or back away from the ministry.  Frighteningly still, I am one who always wants preparation and planning in advance for future decision and events.  I love having a specific path.  It is difficult for me to sit still and not be processing information or planning.  I want to have life figured out.  I want a simplified life with little entanglements to hold me to one area or one task.  I enjoy my freedom and travel.  I enjoy feeling able to change direction at a moments notice.  Yet, I long for stability.  I long to feel secure.  I crave a home and family.  Yet, I don't know how to attain such things in my current status.

     This is entirely too personal of a topic to post; but, with friends and encouragers like you, I feel that your input and counsel is needed.  Input, guidance, counsel and wisdom is only truly helpful when you have all the information and all guards are down.

     Friends, I love you dearly.  You bring such light and courage into my life.  Without your prayers and thoughts, I would feel terribly alone and frightened.  You help me to rely on the Lord.  You help me to seek Him first.  Your love brings me to love.  Without you, I would be disgustingly different.  I love you, madly.    

-jesadam

Friends, it has again been entirely too long.

     I know, I know... It has been too long.  I am trying to get into a steady ritual of updating the site and blog.  Bare with me.  Life changes make things difficult.

     To update yall:  Several weeks ago I completed my final weekend of traveling with Forgiven.  It was EXTREMELY difficult to say goodbye to Cloid and Debbie Baker and to the road.  For the last (nearly) two years, Bake and Deb were my best friends and partners in a wonderful music ministry.  Not seeing them on a daily basis is very sad and emotional.  However, the Bakers have found a GREAT replacement in Chris Little, from Nashville, TN and somewhere in West Virginia. 

     To say a little more about Chris:  Chris is a great guy.  After sharing a weekend on the road with him, we immediately discovered that we knew many of the same people and have had many of the same experiences.  Chris has an extensive resume in Southern Gospel music... that puts mine to shame.  Chris and I instantly became friends.  I take great comfort in knowing that my small role in Forgiven has been filled by an immensely talented, funny-as-all-get-out, cowboy-boot wearing, piano playing, lead singer with a FULL HEAD OF HAIR! LOL!  If you haven't had the opportunity and privilege of hearing Chris with Forgiven, get on the ball and get to it! 

     Since leaving Forgiven, I have returned home to Central IL (home of Birdzilla).  I am setting up a home and trying to prepare myself to return to school.  I have also returned to my position at Samuel's Music in Effingham as Resident Vocal Instructor.  I have also accepted a position as a customer service rep for Family Video, Inc.  And as always, I will be singing occasionally as the opportunity arises. 

     I am also excited to share with you that my voice over career continues to expand on a daily basis.  I have been getting numerous requests for radio commercials and my impressions.  It is strange to be asked to record yourself pretending to be Bill Clinton or a few of my own characters.  I love it!  I hope that I can continue doing this line of work for a long, long time.  My favorite is still the Joe Sippers radio commercials.  Spoofing popular 70s/80s songs is one of my favorite choices for commercials.

     I plan on adding a few new pages to the site for my students and for my voice-over business.  So stay tuned.

     Friends, take care.  I love you.  Be good to yourself.  Be kind.

-jesadam

Friends, it has again been entirely too long.

    Hello friends!  Summer is supposed to be a slow season for singing gospel music, but not this time!  Forgiven has been especially busy this summer with no signs of slowing down.  Trips to Alabama and Kentucky have already been made.  We leave tonight to head to Kansas for awhile.  It'll be great to get to see my friend Ashley Yeager and her family.  Great people who make GREAT FOOD. 

    We had back to the recording studio in just a couple of weeks to lay down the vocal tracks for the new CD due out the beginning of this fall.  If all goes right, we might just release this one in August.  There are going to be some great songs this time around.  I know you all will like it!  This will be the first time I will have recorded my own version of His Grace is Sufficient.  I must confess that the track is almost perfect.  I pray that not too much gets taken away from it in editing.  The track provides the perfect amount of SOUL that this songs desperately needs.  It will undoubtedly be my favorite song on the album.

    Back at home, my parents have recently sold their house and have begun the moving out process.  Being rather homeless, I finally had to commit to getting all of my things out of their home and storage areas.  The only problem is... I have no where to put anything!  So, I am looking for apartments and places to live.  I have several options, but nothing that really reaches out and grabs me.  I'll just keep looking. 

    Don't forget to sign up for the Jes Adam newsletter.  All you need to do is email newsletter@jesadam.com.  You will get an immediate email reply that confers your registration.  I personally write the newsletter and send it from my own email address directly to you.  It is a great way to keep up-to-date with all of my goings on. 

    I hope that I can see you all soon.  It has been far too long and too infrequent for our visits.  However, I love you.  Be good to yourself.  Be kind.

-jesadam

     Currently, Forgiven is sitting in the recording studio in Huntington, West Virginia.  We are working on the tracks for our next album due out later this summer.  This album promises to be a terrific new recording for us.  I am sure that yall will love it.  Great new songs.  Great arrangements.  It will be a wonderful addition to your collection.

     Stay tuned for more updates, pictures, and videos.  I am working on lots of goodies today.  See yall soon!  I appreciate you!

-jesadam

3-12-08
          Dear friends, it is a pleasure to be writing to you again from the road.  Let me start by sharing my appreciation for the kind words that so many of you have shared in regards to the website.  I still would love to hear for the rest of you!  Email me today at jes@jesadam.com.

While I am talking about the website, if you would like to be add to my e-newsletter please send an email to newsletter@jesadam.com.  The newsletter will usually arrive in your email inbox once a month.  I write it myself and include concert dates, news, and share updates about the website, group, and my own life.  I would love to share this information with you! 

This week has been an unusual one for me.  I haven't been in the best of health for the past week.  Everyone is talking about different viruses going around.  It seems that one such bug finally found it's resting place in my body.  It hasn't been an easy time, but I've made it through every concert.  Praise the Lord!  The first few days of this particular illness were a little shaky.  During one concert, Cloid even announced that if I took off running from the stage to not get in my own or try to help.  He said, "Just let him go.  And that's all I will say about that!"  Thank the good Lord I haven't had to run out yet!  As you are praying for your church, pastors, family, Forgiven, and other needs and joys, send the Lord a word or two for me!  I sure could use it.  I'm hoping all will be back to normal, or as near to it as I can get, by this weekend.

Forgiven is gearing up for another album to come out this fall.  Our album Hymns of Our Heritage have been outselling any previous Forgiven album.  It is good to know that people still love and want to hear the church hymns that I was raised with.  I don't care how old I get or how this world changes, I will always love the old songs that the church was built on.

In that vein, some people spend so much time degrading the hymns or the songs of contemporary worship.  Some churches are doing their best to keep a "blend" of both.  Some have chosen to go one particular way or the other.  Some have decided to have different services to meet the needs of the congregation.  "Different strokes for different folks." 

My favorite characteristic of Jesus is His all inclusive call to unite as one brotherhood.  To Him, the woman at the well was no different than Peter or Paul.  The song says, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.  I've been washed in the fountain and cleansed by His blood.  Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod.  I'm a part of the family, the family of God."  What a wonderful thought.  What a wonderful truth.  Yet, it seems that as Christians we are always fighting to divide ourselves.  I always have been told and firmly believed that once we are saved, we no longer think of ourselves first.  I still believe that we need to concentrate on doing what God would have us do.  We are to put our selfish desires out of mind.  Think of this:  Some obsess over the adequate temperature of the church, color of carpet or walls, if the preacher should wear a tie, style of music, version of the Bible that should be used from the pulpit.  I ask myself this every time I sense myself getting too selfish about my church:  Would Jesus waste His time on this?  In the wonderful book, WHEN BAD CHRISTIANS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, this question is asked.  Also, the author states the sometimes earth-shattering statements:  Even if you have been at your church for 50 years, paid for every square inch of carpet, furniture, drywall, brick, etc., built the building and pulpit ourselves, think you have a better way of seeing problems or issues than the other church goers, or have volunteered more than anyone else... The church is still not yours.  It is God's.  Put aside our desires.  put His first.  I think we need to begin evaluating our actions and thoughts more.  Be contemplative.  Be a processor of your own actions.  Be grateful.  Be graceful.  Be a Follower of Christ's example.

I truly believe that when we put aside ourselves, we can have a fruitful existence and ministry.  I challenge you to evaluate yourself.  Pray that God would direct your church leaders.  When they don't do as you would like, pray that God would guide those in charge.  If you are in charge, pray that God would bypass your own desires, so that He may have control. 

May God pour out His richest blessings on you as you seek to serve Him better more and more each day.  You have my prayers and blessings.  Thank you all for your support.
- jes adam

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