Across the Miles.
June 4, 2009
This was a very special weekend for me. I had a blast playing with FFH, and of course with NewFire as always, as we played two packed out shows. One in Decatur and another in Paris, IL. They were both amazing shows. But not only were the shows fun, but we had a blast just traveling and seeing the sites. We stopped by Springfield, IL to see President Abraham Lincoln’s home, where we went thru the tour, and then we went to his burial site. Very neat to see those things. Then, to top it all off we stopped by Six Flags on the way home and spent the day there. It was awesome. Not to mention that I got given a laptop, which was a huge blessing. And the best part of all is that 20 people responded to the altar call Jeromy gave at the show in Paris. Who would’ve thought so much awesomeness could’ve been packed into one weekend. lol. God is good and His mercies endure forever.
I would like to thank Kellie from “Across the Miles Photography” for taking these photos and sending them to us. You can visit her site at www.acrossthemilesphotography.com. Click on the image below to view the photo album of this weekend. And one last thing, you can read Jeromy’s blog about the trip on the FFH site by clicking here.
GMA Week, 3D Give, and life on the road.
April 30, 2009
This past month I got to enjoy the GMA (Gospel Music Association) music week with NewFire for my first time. It was a really neat experience. Here are a few photos.
This is me with my artist badge, I was quite proud of it. ha ha.
Close up of the badge.
The Springboard Entertainment Suite had a Wii party for a bunch of their artists and invited a bunch of industry people so we could make connections. It was a lot of fun. This picture is of Josh Wii bowling with a guy who owns a management company.
Here we were entering the Springboard Entertainment Suite. There were probably 40 people in that little place. All of them either artists, writers, publicists, magazine execs, managers, radio DJs, plus there was a video crew there as well. It was packed.
This was dinner with our publicists Anita. NewFire plus several of her other artists all went out to eat at PF Changs. It was scrumptous. I’m very very fond of chinese food.
Does this guy look familiar? Well he should. He was one of the funny fireman in the movie “Fireproof” and he also played in “Facing the Giants.” He was good friends with Two Empty Chairs (one of Springboards other artist) and he hung out with us Sunday night.
This was me taking a pic of NewFire minus me on our way to the Springboard Entertainment Suite right after we had gotten there.
This is obviously self explanatory.
This is where we stayed while we were in Nashville. It is an apartment that is owned by the bass player of Tree 63 and it doubles as a recording studio. While we were there the band Glorious Unseen that toured with Leeland was working on an album. I thought that was pretty cool.
This is Jon with his new princess travel bag on our way to a show. HA HA.
I’m getting to where i really enjoy hotels a lot. They’re starting to feel kind of like home.
Josh jamming in our room.
One thing that i always look forward too and enjoy on our trips is our game nights. Usually at least one night of a trip (if not more) Josh and I (and whoever else happens to be with us) will go over to Jon and Alli’s room and we will play games. In the background there you see the band playing a game of Skip Bo, our usual game of choice.
People checking out the NewFire table after a show.
While I was in the green room before a concert I was able to see the parking lot and some of the surrounding churches that were bussing in their youthgroups. So i tried to get a shot of some of them, but I sort of missed.
Josh during sound check. I love the look on his face. Ha ha.
One of the attendees with her signed NewFire shirt. lol.
In one of the host homes we stayed in the owner took us to check out his collection of antiques including a model A and a model T. It was pretty neat.
And this was me getting ready for a little Extreme Ironing. My sport of choice.
I started going to an outreach called 3D Give that we have every Saturday morning. We all just meet, take a bus to the less fortunate side of town and do random acts of kindness. This was this weeks crew before we headed out.
And here was my random act of kindness. : ) We just walked up and down the street saying, “Hi, we’re with Victory Christian Center and we’re just trying to show the love of Jesus to the neighborhood. Is there anything we can do for you?” We got to pray with people and serve them. I love it. As you can see here these people wanted their lawm mowed. So that’s what we did. It was great. Seriously, serving and the feeling you get from doing it becomes addicting.
I need a hero.
April 2, 2009
A blast sent to my Facebook group “Represent Christ with your Facebook” on April 2. It’s an impassioned plea for you to become who you were born to be. You can join the group by clicking here.
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Hey everyone,
It’s 4 in the morning but my heart is burning again and I need your attention for a few minutes.
I’m a huge Lord Of The Rings fan. Including the “Silmarillion” and “The Hobbit.” I own the collectors extended edition of all the movies, own all the books (and have read them multiple times), as well as owning other LOTR memorabilia. I even purchased a replica of the Sword of Elindel that was used in the movie. (Aragorn’s sword) But I don’t like the story of the LOTR trilogy simply because it was a well written entertaining novel. I like and relate to the story because it is actually a more accurate glimpse into reality than this tangible reality that we live in every day that seeks to lull us asleep. I know that LOTR is classified as fantasy, but I would describe it as the ultimate reality.
It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of every day life. School, work, shopping, social life, etc. But there is so much more to life than Monday – Friday 8 to 5 and getting a paycheck. The truth is you were born into a battle, a battle over the eternal fate of every living soul. Your story here on earth has a beginning and an end, and it will be remembered for eternity. There are no second chances, no redo’s – just the story of what you chose to do with your time on earth. For good or for evil. For God or for self. And what you choose to do with your brief years here on earth will determine your placement upon entering eternity. And I don’t just mean Heaven or Hell, but that most certainly included.
I love to watch movies and read books like LOTR that remind and hint at the glory and splendor that man was created for. It is not vanity or pride to desire that. In fact we should desire that. It’s what we were created for. We were created in the image of God and are called “kings and priests” that will “rule WITH Him.” Don’t get me wrong, not OUR glory, for all glory belongs to God alone. However, I have heard it said that the glory of God is man fully alive. I don’t know that I fully agree with that, but I would agree that man fully alive brings God glory. And the nobility, valiancy, honor and splendor that is illustrated by the stories of the kings of old is how God originally intended man to be. It is appropriate to desire it. The simple minded, shallow, apathetic, “responsible”, unadventurous, boring, vain, and selfish image of man that is so often presented as the “norm” in today’s society is a perversion of what man was intended to be. . . . But there is hope.
We have to begin to believe in the bigger picture, to believe that heroes really do exist and that bravery and adventure aren’t just for the movies. We have to begin to understand that the peril and urgency of the moment is even greater than a movie like LOTR can portray. Every single one of us was created with a divine purpose that it is imperative that we discover and fulfill. As a Christ follower It is NOT YOURS to DECIDE what to do with your future, but it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to DISCOVER what you were created for. Only in that will you ever truly find fulfillment.
It is possible for even one person to change the course of history. Do you believe that? If not than you have already lost the battle. That’s what satan wants you to believe. You, even alone, have the ability to make a difference. You MUST believe that. I could name a long list right now of lone men/women that changed the world. . . and you have the power to become one of them. When the earth as we know it has come to an end and all that remains of it are the stories of how we lived our lives, what will your story be? Will it be characterized by selfishness and vain ambition, apathy and disinterest, or will you rise to the occasion and allow the world to see what God can do with even one man or woman fully devoted to Him.
The signs of the times are obvious. I think that soon we will be entering a time when there will be a great need for heroes. Valiant men and women willing to stand against the greatest darkness of our time and raze up a standard against it. Already millions of potentially unborn lives are calling out pleading for someone to fight for them. Already untold thousands of young ladies are trafficked for sex all the while praying in the deep watches of the night that God would send someone to save them. Already there are starving and abandoned children all across the globe desperate to be loved and cared for. And already there are billions of lost and broken souls on a one way path to an eternity in Hell. Already the need is great and it is still growing. Once we’ve reached the end of all things and have entered into our eternity, what will history say of what YOU chose to do against such darkness? Make your story one worthy of eternity. I cannot stress enough the urgency of the hour. You MUST find your place. There is no time to waste.
I’m sending out a call, to every man and woman that NOW is the time for action. We must make straight the path for the Lord, beginning with our own lives. I believe that a great wave is coming. And that only those that have prepared their lives will be able to ride it. All others will be crushed by it. I’m not trying to be a fearmonger but simply trying to express that NOW is the time to get your life in order. There are some in this group that the Lord has been dealing with you to cut off certain relationships. You need to do that sooner rather than later. Others have just been playing games – sleeping around, getting drunk, partying. That has to stop. Confess the secret sins, quit pretending. Destroy the double life. The wages of sin is death and it will destroy you if you don’t repent. God has an infinitely better and more fulfilling plan for you full of purpose.
All of us need to take stock of our lives and begin to work at getting every part of it lined up in accordance to the word of God. “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”- Matthew 21:44 You cannot have this world and God. “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15 This world has nothing for you. God will use those that forsake all and follow Him in a way greater than they could have ever dreamed or imagined. He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) Those that do answer the call should prepare to be promoted.
The adventure begins today. The peril, battles, adventure, heroism, and urgency taken from the scenes of LOTR is actually a more accurate description of life than the time clock at your work. Don’t forget that. I used to wish that I could just jump into the T.V. and become a part of the movie until one day when I realized that I was already living in an epic adventure. And that the importance of my quest was actually greater than Frodo’s or Aragorn’s and that my life carried just as much purpose. You were born for such a time as this. “For if you remain silent at this time. . . you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
I implore you to discover what it was you were created for, and then to throw yourself wholeheartedly into accomplishing your purpose. “Put aside the ranger, become who you were born to be.” This world needs passionate people, and the Lord is looking for His heroes. You now have permission to become one of them.
“Storm the gates ye proud and strong, are we not invincible?”
Living to destroy God’s loneliness,
Chris Ulery
http://www.CHPHMinistries.com
http://www.ChrisUlery.com
Invite your friends to become a part of this group of forerunners willing to send out a clarion call through the darkness. And if you feel this message should be read by someone you know please forward it on.
DownTown T-town photo shoot
April 1, 2009
To view the online gallery of these photos click here. : )
NewFire, FFH, The Harvest Show, and Bible League. These are a few of my favorite things.
March 3, 2009
Here is a vlog of NewFire on tour including a couple concerts with FFH, “The Harvest Show,” and a visit to Bible League!
Click the image below to watch video.
NewFire concert with FFH!
It was an amazing trip. I actually got to play drums and bass on this trip. On a couple of shows that NewFire did with FFH I got to first play drums with NewFire and then play bass with FFH on a few songs! It was really exciting for me. Here are a few photos of that.
Playing drums with NewFire.
Playing bass with FFH!
The NewFire boys with FFH.
My purple sparkly bass with bright pink strap. Ha ha.
Jennifer showing hand motions for the song "Daniel."
Jeromy and Jennifer Deibler of FFH
Also on this trip we got to do an interview and performance on Lesea Broadcasting’s “The Harvest Show.” The shows signal goes to nearly 80% of the world’s population covering the globe. That’s a potential viewing audience of 25 million homes through out the US and over 4 billion (with a b) people internationally. Here are a couple photos of that. You’ll also see it in the video above.
NewFire interview on "The Harvest Show."
Jon performing on "The Harvest Show."
The whole band played on the show, i just unfortunately don’t have any photos of that. Not only did we get to perform at some awesome places, but we also got to do a little sight seeing! We got to hang out in Chicago and while we were there went to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was way awesome. We got to tour through a real submarine. Here are some photos of our exploring.
That's Lake Michigan and the Chicago City skyline behind me.
A train in the Museum of Science and Industry.
The famous Navy Pier in Chicago.
We found the weinermobile!
Plus, NewFire is now artist partners with Bible League. Bible League provides millions of Bibles to locations where they are desperately needed around the world. Not only do they provide Bibles but they also raise up churches, lead millions through Bible studies, raise up church leaders, and provide the new Churches with Bible study materials. You’ll see a few shots of Bible League in the video posted at the top of this post. Here are some of Bible League’s 2008 stats. And in 2009 Bible League will do even more! And NewFire is now a part of it all! Praise God!
| Scriptures Placed | 18,332,538 |
| Churches Established | 3,905 |
| Church Members | 479,758 |
| Church Planters Trained | 3,368 |
| Bible Study Groups | 210,882 |
| Bible Study Graduates | 3,246,228 |
| Bible Study Leaders Trained | 279,544 |
Also watch this video about Bible League!
For more info on Bible League visit www.BibleLeague.net. Please check it out!
Valentines Day Encouragement
March 1, 2009
Okay, i was a little late on the upload of this one, but this was a blast i sent out to my FB group on Valentines Day.
Hey everyone!
Happy Valentines Day! I know this day can be a hard day for some of us so I wanted to encourage you. Plus, it’s been a while since I talked with you all and I just wanted to check in with everyone and see how you are all doing, and catch you up with me. So drop me a line and let me know what‘s up. I used to talk to some of you quite often but communication has kind of died down lately. Hope everything is going well.
I’ve found myself in a very exciting time recently. God has been very good to me. Right now I am touring with a band called Newfire and we are opening for a band called FFH that has decided to get back together after a two year break. I have moved to Tulsa, OK from Little Rock, AR and have gotten plugged into a church called Victory Christian Center. Which has to be in the top 3 coolest churches in the nation. It’s amazing. There seems to be an unending supply of completely amazing people there. God has given me a very nice place to live, a good close circle of friends, and I get to travel around the nation and (soon to be) world ministering with Newfire. I’m getting to meet a lot of new people, make new friends, and do a lot of things that I have dreamed about doing ever since I was 12. But there is a reason I’m telling you all this. And here’s why.
This particular season in my life happens to be a very happy and easy one. BUT, not to long ago I was going through a very lonely and pretty difficult time emotionally. It seemed like all of my friends were getting married, getting exciting career opportunities, or moving away to college and doing all sorts of fun things. I, on the other hand, felt like I was the only single guy left in Benton, AR doing the same ol’ boring routine, still living with my parents. I would get up, go to work, come back home and do nothing. . . And then do it all over again the next day. I didn’t have a life AT ALL. I hardly ever went and hung out with friends, the majority of them had moved away, and the ones that hadn’t were always busy or married. I remember seeing a sticker that said, “I love my computer, all my friends live in it” and thinking that pretty much described my life. Lol. I felt very forgotten, rejected, and unimportant. I really felt like I was getting left behind while everyone else was moving on with life.
God became the only thing I had. I started hanging out with Him all the time because He was the only person I had to hang out with. Every day I would go to Tyndall Park and walk around for hours just talking to Him. I had nothing else to do. But through that process I began to really fall in love with Him. And it was during those intensely lonely days that I really developed a passion for the Lord, and that was also when the whole vision for CHPHM and my life was given to me and fleshed out. I would never want to experience the hurt and loneliness that I went through during those times again, however, I would not exchange the things that the Lord taught me during those times for the world. Every time I preach, every time I lead worship, or even every time I minister one on one it is out of that place of intimacy that I developed during those lonely days of just Him and me. And I realized that God had me in that place for a reason. He was after something. . . My heart. I’m not saying that God caused any of the bad things that happened to me to happen, cuz He didn’t. But He does want us to come to the place where we realize that He is ALL we need. We don’t need to be popular, we don’t need a girlfriend, we don’t need to be touring, we don’t need a socially impressive job, NO! ALL we need is Him. And God used that lonely time in my life to teach me that. When every other “crutch” in my life was removed God was the only thing I had to lean on.
But the thing is that God wants to be our only “crutch” all the time, not just when things are bad. It’s easy when cool things start happening in our life to sort of put God on a shelf and forget about Him (that deeply hurts Him) But when we do that it proves that God was not really our source in the first place. But that all the “things” were. Now I’ve got a lot going on, but I still spend quality time with God every day. Not because there’s nothing else to do, but because I WANT to. Because I got addicted to Him during the lonely times. Now I have to fight to create time to spend with God. But I make sure I do. Because He is my source, not all the things happening around me. I don’t want to be the person that only loves God during the bad times and when I need His help. No, God is my everything during the bad times AND during the good times. He IS my good time. I want you to pay very close attention to what I’m about to say next. So focus – What we do during the hard times of our life will determine how high we can excel during the good times of our life. If the only time you love God is when there is nothing else going on and times are bad, well . . . Just keep in mind that God is relentlessly pursuing your heart and so He knows how to get you into a position to seek Him . . . But it is how we react to life when it is hard that will determine how far God will take us in the good times.
“God is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.” That verse is so true. If you will diligently seek God during the lonely and hard seasons of your life, than I PROMISE you will be greatly rewarded for it. So after spending two years of my life in this “wilderness” season of just me and God – All of the sudden out of the blue a guy calls me that I met ONE time in a small Podunk town called Paren (sp?) at a small church camp in Arkansas nearly 7 years ago!! He had come across my website and found my number on it. So he calls me up, tells me he is going on tour with Warren Barfield (an Essential Records artist) and wants me to go on tour with him as drummer. And then the rest is history. Now I live in Tulsa constantly surrounded by amazing people and friends and always meeting new ones, with new and exciting plans being told to me daily. Loneliness for me is now just a memory. That is part of the reward for me because I diligently chose to seek God during the hard times instead of get bitter.
So let me encourage you, if this Valentines day you feel forgotten, lonely, and unimportant, let me remind you that there is a lover that is relentlessly pursuing your heart. So let Him have it. I promise you will never regret it. And the reward will be greater than anything you can imagine.
Okay I’m done. Have a good day. And FYI – I will be appearing with Newfire on “The Harvest Show” on the 19th on Lesea Broadcasting at 9-10am ET. Tune in if you feel like it.
Okay I gotta go catch a plane, I’ve got a Kung Fu Panda party tonight with my friends in Nashville, TN. Woot woot. And if you want to have a good laugh I just started a new group that you should join. Nothing to take to seriously or anything, but if you like to laugh this group is for you. It’s called Extreme Ironing. Here’s the link. http://www.facebook.com/s.php?k=100000004&id=50047178313&gr=2&a=7&sid=789a2e0c6fae69079df4b7d20a7817ed#/group.php?gid=50047178313.
Living to destroy God’s loneliness,
Chris Ulery
http://www.CHPHMinistries.com
http://www.ChrisUlery.com
Extreme Ironing
February 13, 2009
Watch this video to learn more.
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=14ff5905a82ec26ceed0
Bizarre and intriguing Extreme Ironing combines the thrills of an extreme sport with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt. From its humble beginnings in the English city of Leicester in 1997, Extreme Ironing is now a global phenomenon with hundreds of ironists from around the world taking ironing to the edge. Extreme Ironists iron in the most remote, unusual, dangerous, and sometimes plain stupid places. Who said ironing had to be a mundane chore?
Iron on. . .
Basically, i discovered extreme ironing via a calendar (which you will see in the video) that i received as a gift. It was amazing and inspiring, thus a facebook group was born.
My room mate Josh and I have recently joined the Extreme Ironing sport. It’s pretty hardcore. Basically, we will be taking a portable Iron with us on tour as we travel, and will snap our extreme ironing photos when opportune moments present themselves. Then we will go back to the FB group and upload them to the group. It will be fun. Then with all the photos we shoot and collect via the goup, we will compile a 2010 calendar. A-mazing. You don’t want to miss your opportunity to get in on the ground level of this. We are going global baby. YEAH! . . . Don’t take this to seriously.
To view the group go here. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=50047178313
CCM Magazine article and updates from the road.
January 28, 2009
Newfire was featured in an article on the front page of “News & Views” section in CCM Magazine! Where you get “the week’s most “it” stories in Christian music.” The article is entitled “Double Dose Of Newfire News.” Read the article on CCM Magazines website here. And just in case it has been removed before you get a chance to read it there, i’ll post it here as well. It says,
DOUBLE DOSE OF NEWFIRE NEWS
“Not only is Oklahoma-bred pop duo NewFire joining FFH on tour in 2009, but co-leader Jonathan Firey just joined FFH as a permanent member. It will indeed be double duty for the blossoming star, but given his impressive vocals, it’s truly a match made in harmony heaven.”
Ever since CCM Mag called Jonathan a “blossoming star” we’ve been teasing him about it, and making lots of comments about his “impressive vocals.” Ha ha.
Last week we were in . . . the cities had really weird names so i don’t actually remember the names of the places. Except for Joplin, MO. I remember that one. BUT, we ate at this really . . . creepy (in my opinion) restaurant that was featured on the food network on “Drive ins, diners, and dives.” Here is a picture of Allison with the poster singed by Guy.
It was an interesting experience to say the least. And then this past weekend we were in Abilene and San Angelo Texas. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures from that trip.
(Above) This is Jon and Alli with Mark (the host of the morning show on KCRN). Sandy is the one in the corner of the pic that you can’t see. I’m obviously the one taking the picture, and Josh slept in so he wasn’t even there. . . lol. The studio was really cool because it was up high and the big windows overlooked the city.
(Above) This is Sandy and I in another one of the KCRN studios. Sandy is another one of the DJs for KCRN.
I think this one is pretty self explanatory
Ok, let me explain this part below. I got hired to do a poster for some upcoming shows. You’ll see below the version that was finally approved by FFH’s management. But underneath that one you’ll see how I thought the poster should’ve looked. Personally, I think the second design would have drawn a bigger crowd. But you know, whatever. 
Now here is my favorite version, and the one i designed first. For some reason it didn’t get approved. Go figure.
Allison sent this version to Jeromy saying, “Hmm, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have our drummer design the flyer.”
NewFire opening for FFH!
December 24, 2008
Well, if you head on over to www.FFH.net. You will see that FFH (Far From Home) has announced that they will be starting a touring schedule again in 2009 after a two year break! Well, one little fact that I am particularly excited about is that NewFire will be getting the opportunity to open for FFH on the tour! I have been an FFH fan for quite a while now and so getting the opportunity to open for them is very exciting for me. Actually, Jonathan (frontman for NewFire) got me backstage passes once while he was playing guitar for FFH a few years ago. It was a really neat experience for me and now getting this opportunity is wiggin me out a little. Lol. FFH has had 7 #1 radio singles as well as 15 top ten singles and have sold over 1.5 million records. I’m really excited about this opportunity.
