Paul Hartwell

Germany

2008-07-28T02:28:00.003-06:00

I just returned from a fantastic mission trip in Steinau, Germany. Our church

with the church there held a baseball camp for a week. I led the music at the daily services and also played a lot of songs just hanging out with my extremely hospitable German hosts. The food was great, the country was beautiful, and the people were

very loving.

I want to send a special thank you to Verena and Tabea for singing and playing with me for all the services, you blessed me greatly. Also, to Fara who brought her flute for the trip. I am really missing the country and the people.

Blake and Lexi

2008-06-28T17:41:00.002-06:00

I was extremely honored to play a song during the wedding ceremony of my nephew, Blake and his new wife Lexi. The wedding went great and got to see a lot of old friends.

Seeing my Dad at the reception dancing to the twist was priceless.

I was invited to go on a mission trip to Germany in late July where I will lead the worship services. I am really looking forward to this.

Hey, I'm on Itunes!

2008-03-09T05:21:00.002-06:00

My son Noah found me on Itunes the other day. "Still Counting" from soundtrack of the Through Your Eyes DVD was posted recently. I have to admit I was pretty pumped. If you get a chance, click on the Dvd cover and log a review. I hope all is well...

Writing

2008-02-15T05:54:00.005-06:00

I am in the process of writing more songs. It's been a while since I was in that groove and it really feels good. I plan to record one or two at Jim's house soon and post them on the myspace page. Jim has acquired some really outstanding equipment, and his home studio is top notch. I can't believe he still can stomach some more of my attention wandering, and is willing to record more.

I hope to get Cheryl to sing with me on a new song, since she has been singing in the music room a lot lately. Help me encourage her. I think the children love to hear her in there singing.

I have been reading Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost For His Highest" and it is a very practical and poignant devotional. I highly recommend it. You can read it online daily also. Just go to my website www.paulhartwell.com and click on Oswald
Chambers on the left.

Blessed

2008-01-02T19:59:00.001-06:00

It's been fourteen months since "Joy In The Storm" was released and I still get still get a great deal of positive response from the CD. There are numerous emails and other feedback from how the songs are a blessing to people. Thank you all for the heartwarming responses. The Lord has blessed me.

Settling in

2007-11-05T06:22:00.000-06:00

We moved into another house and trying to settle in. it seems like boxes multiply by themselves. I think after a couple more weeks things will be in a lot better shape. We have a powerful sermon series that started at church about living as if you only had thirty days left. What would you do? Who would you forgive? Who would you spend time with? There is life change in it.

Great time at Coffee House

2007-10-11T10:31:00.000-06:00

I had a great time at the Cup of Grace Coffee House in Humble. Thanks to Nina and gang for making us feel at home. Once again, I had wonderful support from my loving family. A special thank you to Donetta and Gary Sampson for coming out and bringing your friends. Your support is such a blessing to me. I'm glad everyone had such a great time.

This weekend I go to Beaumont for the Southeast Texas State Fair. It should be a great event.
Thanks all, keep praying...

A song on the Billboard charts

2007-09-16T19:28:00.001-06:00

The soundtrack for the Through Your Eyes DVD debuted at #4 on the Billboard Internet Chart! There is a bonus CD with three songs from the band Harwin and "Still Counting" from my CD. This is an awesome blessing and thanks to Jim who produced the music for the DVD for including my song on the CD also. The story has already been on the Dr. Phil show.

I have still been working a great number of hours, but hopefully things will level off soon.

Park Memorial and NYC

2007-08-13T05:07:00.000-06:00

I played yesterday morning at Park Memorial Community Church in Houston and I was extremely blessed. The congregation was wonderful and they truly were a family. I want to thank Brother Ricky Fletcher for inviting me and blessing us with a powerful message. Chuck Swindoll was once a member at this church. The feeling I got there was exactly what I felt when I wrote "Church on the Corner."

I recently found out that the Through Your Eyes dvd will be distributed nationally. This is very exciting and I'll post more when I find out.

Cheryl and I recently took a trip to New York City with a number of couples from church. We had a great time. We stayed five days and four nights and didn't get enough. Ground Zero gave us a somber feeling, but it was good to be there. We stayed a half block off Times Square and went to see Grease. The city is very diverse, and I loved going to Little Italy. A big thanks to Pastor Chris Richey for planning out the trip and arranging hotels, transportation, etc.

Still going...

2007-06-22T05:52:00.000-06:00

The Strawberry Festival was a really good time. I appreciate all the support for those who came out. The night before I played again at The Liberty Opry. The band is phenomenal, all expert musicians, and it is really an honor to play with them.

I recently donated three tracks off "Joy In The Storm" to the Through Your Eyes project. It is a feature length documentary about the only known deafblind triplets. The project has been featured on Dr. Phil's show twice. You can learn more about it at throughyoureyesthemovie.com.

I am going to start writing again. It has been awhile since I was in the songwriting groove, but I am excited about experiencing the growth from the last songs.

All we can really do is in our relationships with other people is love and forgive. Beyond that, I don't believe it is our concern whether that is given back. The more I go through life I realize how so many people are empty inside. The only thing that can fill that void is love, and how can you love if you are not forgiving?

Bluebonnet Festival

2007-04-15T20:29:00.000-06:00

I had blessed afternoon at the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival. A big thanks to Damon and Ricky who ran sound for me, and also helped me set up. Burnet is a beautiful town in the Hill country and I loved being there. My whole family made the trip up for the show and we had a great time. I played 14 songs for an hour, but it just flew by. I really felt the Lord's presence with
me on the stage...

Daystar airing

2007-04-10T04:36:00.000-06:00

I got a call yesterday "Church on the Corner" had just aired on Daystar! I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but I feel extremely blessed to have a song of mine on television. I give God all the glory because He gave it to me. If I get some advanced notice for any more possible airings, I'll post them. Wow.

Gospel show

2007-04-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

I had a wonderful time at the Deer Park Gospel Show. I want to thank Susan McBee Mele for her fantastic support of this ministry. You are a blessing to me. It was an honor to share the stage with such great singers, including Susan.

It was great to see Angela Hysler again at the show. I have told you before Angela, but thank you for your wonderful singing on the CD. The door is always open whenever you want to sing.

I'm gearing up now for the Bluebonnet Festival, and I'm really excited. A big group of family is going and I feel it is going to be a blast. I am really feeling direction from the Lord, thank you for your prayers...

Close call...

2007-02-26T21:28:00.000-06:00

I took the boys to my Grandpa's house in Moss Hill yesterday to fish and ride our ATV. My son, Josh, tried to take the turn around the pond too quickly and ran through the fence. He's alright though with a few scrapes, and I thank God for his safety. It was pretty scary.

I found myself recently feeling lukewarm spiritually, and the bottom line is that I have not been praying and reading my bible like I should. I listened to"Brother", and it ministered to me. I think that is one thing people don't realize, I wrote the songs to help me also.

The Lord is good. I can do all things through Him.

Work and more...

2007-01-27T20:05:00.000-06:00

The weather has kept me pretty busy at work. I'm back and almost full strength with my hand recovery. I have been really impressed with Jim and his prayer life. He prays multiple times everyday and is very humbled by the answers. I would highly recommend The Prayer of Jabez
to everyone. It has really been a life change for Jim. He is sharing the gospel and helping people greatly. Way to go man...

Clearing out for the new year

2007-01-03T06:54:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and a have a great new year. I have been off from work since Dec. 14 with my surgery and all is healing well. I should be back to work at the end of next week. Thank you for all the prayers and words of encouragement.

I began thinking if there was anything that I needed to take care of to start the new year off right, whether it be sin, resentment, anger, etc. A good friend had hurt my wife's feelings involving a job last year, and I just still had some resentment. I met with him, told him I had this resentment, and forgave him. It just felt like I started the year with a clean slate, and I urge you to do the same. I should not have held that in for that long. Charles Swindoll once said in a sermon to keep short accounts with God, not let a lot of time pass between your confessions and prayer to Him. That way things don't build up to become barriers, and you don't let things wedge.

I pray that once again someday, I can lead worship on a regular basis. There is nothing more gratifying than to lead God's children into worship. The enemy will always present a constant fight to keep you from it, but the thorns must not be allowed to choke the rose...

Carpal tunnel surgery

2006-12-12T20:21:00.000-06:00

I'm having carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand on Thursday. I had my left hand done last December and have been putting off getting my other hand done. I won't be able to play guitar for two weeks and that will be tough. Please keep the process in prayer...

Daystar

2006-12-06T17:26:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a morning. I taped six songs for Daystar today at the studio in Clear Lake. It was an awesome experience, a truly blessed time. A big thanks to Byron and all the crew at the studio. Everyone was super to be around. I was given a rough copy of the video and overall I am very pleased, aside from the waterdrop I left on my lip during "Still Counting." The songs should start airing within a couple of months, especially around rodeo time. The potential viewership could be 6.5 million. What a blessing!
A huge thanks to my tireless helper and encourager, Jim. You are a blessing to my family. Thank you.

Channel 6 in Beaumont

2006-12-02T16:24:00.000-06:00

I had a great time with the "Live at Five" television appearance at kfdm channel 6 in Beaumont. Thanks to Kendra for her hospitality. I sat to the left of the news anchor as she conducted the live news. It was very interesting. I played part of Surrender and then when we came back from the commercial, I was interviewed and then played Still Counting. At the end of the show I played All
You Need as images of the station's Christmas Toy Drive were shown. I'll post the video as soon as I get it.

Vacation time

2006-12-01T09:20:00.000-06:00

I've been on vacation since Thanksgiving and I have really enjoyed it. It feels good to unwind and break away from the norm. In a few hours I'll drive up to Beaumont for a television appearance and I'm excited about it. I got a really great email from www.whitedoveradio.com that they are playing four songs from the CD right now. I looked at the website and they have over 4 million hits, wow. Thanks to all my longtime friends who have contacted me this week, it has been a true blessing.

Blessed weekend and Don Piper

2006-11-19T22:24:00.000-06:00

Well it was a busy weekend with playing at the "Angels in the Arts", Hastings Records, and the Church at Centerpoint. I want to thank Susan Mele, the managing director of the Art Park Players, for her wonderful support and kindness. Thanks to Mayor Riddle for buying CDs and I hope they bless you. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. Also, thanks to Norma Hysler for her help and support. When she drove in the parking lot, she had my CD already playing. That blessed me Norma.
Don Piper spoke at the Church at Centerpoint and just blessed the entire auditorium. He gave his account of his accident and the miracles that happened. One of his messages is that God is still in the miracle business. Don said if He can bring him back to life after being killed in a car wreck and dead for 90 minutes, God can heal your marriage. Very powerful and compelling. After I read the book, I'll blog on it.
I played about seven songs after Don spoke and I felt very grateful to be there. One thing I really related to about Don was he said I never planned to do this, as in write a book, travel, speak to people about the firsthand account of heaven, etc. I, myself, never planned to record a full CD. I just wanted to write songs to bless people and tell them about Jesus in my way of song. God is great. Proverbs 20:24 says " A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?"

Praying for others

2006-11-11T06:04:00.000-06:00

I have found myself lately, as busy as I've been, not praying for others as I used to. I think it rips away victory when we don't pray for others. The Lord said the greatest commandment is to love others as we love ourself, and I believe that means praying for others as much as ourself.
One thing I cannot tolerate is meanness in people. It just tears right through me. I love to see people laugh and to find what is good in them. I believe that with unloving attitudes there are usually pride or arrogance issues, and no matter how they try to mask it, the true colors come out. The Lord says that we all have fallen short of His glory, so no one is better that anyone else. We need to be kind and loving...

Moving forward

2006-10-30T22:38:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday was my final day as worship leader at San Jacinto. I feel extremely blessed to have been able to serve within the music ministry for five years. The Lord has opened a new door for me to pursue my own ministry. I believe He has given me the gift of song to share His love and grace. I saw a church sign that read, "God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called." How true and how powerful....

Finally, the CD is available

2006-10-20T05:31:00.000-06:00

I really can't believe it, but the CD is now available for other people. Sometimes you feel like your in a vacuum and it is this huge undertaking that becomes a part of you. Jim has already got the CD placed at some stores, including Borders and Hastings. I will be doing some in-store appearances to help promote the project.
I ask that you please spread the word about the CD to friends, family, church members, etc. I hope and pray that it will bless those who hear it...

Cd setback

2006-10-13T05:29:00.000-06:00

We got the CDs in 10/11/06 and there was a problem with the artwork. Bummer. The printing company has agreed, however, to redo all 1000 CDs. That in itself is a blessing. I feel that this just another trial and that there is a reason for it also. A big thank you to Mom and Dad for driving across town to take care of the CD transfers.
I thank the Lord for the peace I feel because I can rest upon His word.
"All things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:27

CDs will be here soon...

2006-10-03T21:26:00.000-06:00

I sent out several emails about the songs on the site and the response has been extremely gratifying. The CD should be back by October 12. It will be listed with www.outboundmusic.com for individual and complete digital downloads.

We got a new Boston Terrier and the children are loving it. Here is a pic of Phoebe. Thanks all...

Recording is done

2006-09-10T20:55:00.000-06:00

The mastering is done on the songs, and I could not be happier with the results. This is the cover of the CD, and as soon as the other artwork is finished, it will be sent off for duplication.

The Daystar appearance was moved to October due to studio remodeling. I am still very excited about this wonderful opportunity. I feel I just need to be prepared for however God will use me or the songs. I am thankful that He has allowed me to go through this whole process, and I await His guidance.

Awesome Blessing at Central Baptist

2006-09-04T19:37:00.000-06:00

A huge thanks to Pastor Walt and the members at Central Baptist. It was wonderful to meet everyone and I was truly blessed to be there. May the Lord bless you greatly. Pastor Walt delivered a powerful message that challenges each one us to keep fighting the good fight and to fulfill our calling. Thanks to my family for coming out and supporting me, and thanks to Jim for his faithful help.

Great News

2006-08-12T06:12:00.000-06:00

In a couple of weeks, I go to the Clear Lake television studios of Daystar to tape some songs to be played at a later date. They give you a DVD of the recording, so I hope to post them on my website in the near future. I am absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity to play these songs in this format for God's glory. Mixing is still going well, the CD should be finished by the end of this month...

The Progress Is Good

2006-08-06T18:59:00.000-06:00

Five songs have been mixed and six more to go. I am very pleased with results so far. Brian is an excellent engineer. We should be through with the mixing in less than two weeks and then on to mastering. Hank is getting the CD artwork together, so all wheels are rolling. I had changed my guestbook and calendar, but they started running ad banners on top so I'll keep at it.

Mixing left

2006-07-16T18:37:00.000-06:00

Well, today we finished recording in the studio. It's now up to Brian to mix it.
We were really blessed last week to have Paul Viers, an intern who is a fantastic piano player, record the keyboards for the project. Today, we had Jim's Dad, Gorman, lay down some bass vocal lines. Also, Brian's wife, Barbara laid down some great harmonies. This two year project is almost coming to an end and it seems surreal. Mom also came out today with me, Noah and Josh. The pic is Mom, Jim, Gorman, and me.

Finishing up in the studio

2006-07-04T21:52:00.000-06:00

Well there probably is only a couple more sessions
to go in the studio. Angela came in for two evenings
and did a fantastic job. Her singing brings beauty to
the songs. I want to say once again a big thank you
to my wife, Cheryl. She has been stuck at the house
with our three children for many hours and many nights.
It's not just the recent studio time, but also the year and
a half of pre-production at Jim's studio room. She is still
very supportive and excited about the progress. I would
not have been able to do this cd project without her and Jim.

Pic shoot

2006-05-20T11:36:00.000-06:00

The photo shoot went well. There is a lot to choose from. A big thanks to Hank, the photographer for the great job. And also to Jim, for holding up the light reflector until his arms got numb. Hank may use Jim for help in the future.

2006-05-12T06:13:00.000-06:00

It is in the works. It is very exciting to be working in a professional studio. We hope to be finished with all of it by late June. All of the bass, drums, and rhythm guitars are complete. We a currently working on vocals.

I feel extremely blessed to be working with Brian Baker at Sound Arts. He has "mad skills."

Studio time ahead

2006-04-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

I got together with Reagan and Jason, who will be playing bass and drums for me in the studio. We are scheduled in two weeks to lay down the bass and drums to eight of the eleven songs. They are fantastic musicians with whom
God has blessed me with to record my music. I am trying now to raise the capital to record the rest of cd at Sound Arts Studios also. I feel to record these songs like this could really open a lot of doors. Thanks again to Jim for believing in the songs and me.

Getting there

2006-04-01T19:23:00.001-06:00

This is a pic from spring break, we had a great time at the beach. I took off the week to spend time with the kids and I really enjoyed it.
The pre-production for bass and drums on my songs is almost done. It really amazes me what a different dynamic the songs take on when you add these two elements. Thanks again to all who helped me get these songs made, especially
Jim and his tenacity, and my wife Cheryl for her support and sacrifice.

Good Time

2006-03-06T14:44:00.000-06:00

My grandpa's 90th birthday was Saturday and we had a great time. The family gathered at his place
in East Texas. I made a DVD of about 100 pictures of him and family and I think it really turned out
well. I could not have asked for a better grandfather than he has been. I hope his place in the
country always stays in the family.

Birthday

2006-02-20T22:18:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is my wife's 40th birthday and I think she looks great. We have a party planned this weekend with friends and family. She is my best friend and I am very thankful for her. She is also a wonderful mother who truly loves her children. It is hard for me to fathom how any mother couldn't love her children, but if she was never truly loved herself, it can happen. Love should never be taken for granted...

Reflecting

2006-02-16T18:29:00.000-06:00

This is a recent picture of my children and my Dad.
We had a great time riding ATVs and doing some fishing. I am greatly blessed to be able to play music and just hang out with my kids. It is easy to take for granted or not even enjoy time spent with family, but we just need to be thankful.
Our service at the church went great on Sunday and our attendance was around 340. If you love music or playing an instrument, I strongly encourage you to pursue it for God's glory. The return on your investment cannot be measured...

Moving forward

2006-02-10T18:37:00.000-06:00

Well Jim and I recently finished the twelfth song. I gave a three song demo to some of my family and the response has been wonderful.
The next step is trying to get into a studio. My wife fully supports and believes in me and I couldn't ask for any better. I am greatly blessed to be able to play and make music. A big thanks to my whole family for the encouragement.

Goodbye to a friend

2006-01-31T06:16:00.000-06:00

My dad called me last night and told me a good friend of his, Alan Herring, didn't make it through heart surgery. I felt such a weight on me when I heard it. He was a very kind man, and I'll miss him. My dad took it very hard and he said to me, "all of my friends are dying." I got off the phone and just prayed for him. Sometimes life is just plain hard...

Good service

2006-01-29T15:19:00.000-06:00

Well this morning went well. I thought we had some very good "peak" moments in the worship time.
It's hard to gauge the congregation sometimes to know if they are really worshipping or not. As long as we as a team don't throw up any barriers for the worship, like bad notes or flat pitches, then we've done what we're supposed to do. The rest is between God and the individual person in the congregation. I am not saying that the music has to be perfect, because it never really is. I think if your heart is right, and you are giving 100% to the music, then God will take care of the rest...

Great practice

2006-01-25T23:10:00.000-06:00

Man we had a really great practice tonight. We rehearsed seven songs for Sunday morning and it flowed real well. I always try to spread the song leading
out as much as possible. There are some very good singers in our team and I feel it is my responsibility to cultivate that. I also think it keeps the services fresh because the people hear many different voices and styles. Well got to go...

Getting started

2006-01-21T20:23:00.000-06:00

Hello all. This is my first entry. I want to say a big thanks to Jim Finley for
helping me bring my songs to life. It is great to have a friend who believes in
you and is very focused. His studio website will be up shortly at rocketcitysound.com so visit it when you get a chance.

We are working on song number 11 for my cd, and it's really cool to be seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to do this and for bringing Jim and my paths together. I think his blogs are funnier than mine though.

Out for now...