Aaron Ivey / House Tour Concert 102209

Last week, I had the awesome opportunity to attend a concert at the home of my friend, Mike Rusch.  (I had a post about a photo opp with his family a while back.  you can read about it here.)

Somehow, Mike had made a contact with Aaron Ivey out of Austin, who was on the road with his band playing free shows in folks houses across the South and Mid West.

I had NO idea what to expect, as I didn’t listen to anything ahead of time.  To my delight, it was an AMAZING evening!

I really enjoyed the music (think Coldplay with a moral compass), but it was their testimonies in between that was really cool.  They are big proponents of adoption, social justice, and Compassion International.

At the end of the evening, they gave everyone a chance to sponsor a child through Compassion International.  By the end of the evening, 11 children picked up sponsors through a concert in a Bentonville home.   How cool is that?!

What struck me about these folks in particular was that they were openly LIVING that gospel, and that it deeply influenced their views on the world. They didn’t just talk about the need to adopt, they have adopted kids from impoverished countries.  They didn’t just talk  the need for social justice, they actively involved in organizations like Real Hope for Haiti and Help One Now.   It seeped into their music and into their lives.

I know for me, it was a bit of a challenge.  How can I surrender the blessings that God has freely given me?  I’m not rich by American standards, but in comparison with the world, I’m waaay up there.  (before you start thinking that I’m pulling serious cash, check out the Global Rich List and put your own salary in there.  24k a year puts you in the top 10% of earners world wide) How can my faith influence my photography?  How can my photography spread the gospel (boy, there’s a dangerous question . . ).  And on and on . . . Lots to chew on.  :)

If you want to find out more about the band, check out Aaron’s website, or follow him on Twitter.  Aaron Ivey’s bass player, Stephen Bush,  is also a photographer and blogger.  Check him out at his website and on Twitter.

Hope you enjoy the vid (courtesy of Mike Rusch) and the pics below.

Take care and God Bless.

~ Joshua

You should follow me on Twitter.

Backstory on the shot . . . Aaron was singing Amos Story. In it he talks his experience with the adoption process his family is currently going through. Not the most technical shot in the word and the focus is soft, but it gave me chills the first time I saw it.