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Thank You And So Long to Four Nights in October
Mon., May. 1. 2006 6:38pm EDT
Several years ago we were invited to play at the first annual Four Nights in October Festival in Atlanta. It was a blast ... literally as we were nearly killed by the pyrotechnics! We've enjoyed every year that we've been able to go to and John Paone has become an ApologetiX Fellow. He's even been to the Messner Ranch for shovel duty :)
Last year was very tough with the weather tragedies and John's been burning the candle at both ends. This year, he's decided to hang it up for a while. We got this email today:
Hey guys, if you are getting this email you have either been to 4 Nights in the past, signed up on our website, have been part of the volunteers, bands , management and or just good friends and family. If you have gotten this email by mistake I apologize. I'd tell you to email me back and we'll remove you from the email list but I don't plan on sending any other emails for the foreseeable future. This email is a little long but in canceling 4 Nights in October I wanted to share with you the overriding reason, and my heart.
After some very intense prayer, thought, and consultation with my most trusted earthly personal advisor, (my wife Suki), I have decided to not have 4 Nights this year and cut back in some other areas as well to focus on my family and those that are most important in my life.
What precipitated this decision was a hard fought two year battle to open a Christian youth center in Tyrone and breakfast with my granddaughter Marianna. We lost that battle and after a week or so of feeling quite disappointed I now realize that I was already spread so thin that not winning that battle was really a spiritual win for me personally. I have not had a single weekend off in over seven years. Every trip I've made has been associated with my FedEx job or ministry. I miss the time that I use to spend with my wife and children. Now I have two young grandchildren and parents that are not getting any younger.
Saturday night I did the Late Night Live Radio Show with Cov, (Cov did awesome), and after the show ended at midnight, we spent an hour or so talking about 4 Nights and the incredible venue this year and the bands we were working on bringing. Cov made a couple of suggestions on additional bands, (Superchic{k}, Leeland, Disciple, Family Force Five, Downhere, and I'm sure another half dozen or so). Gloria at WMA, Charity at Verge, and Dan at Third Coast have been great and were helping to make this the biggest year yet, (if you guys only knew what they were putting together).
I was so fired up and excited about this year and getting over my disappointment about the youth center. I went home and got to bed at 3 am and was back up and working in the yard at 6:30 am. I wanted to get our pond fixed before heading to the Pure Fashion Show at the world Congress Center. I was looking forward to meeting David Foster and Rebecca St James. Then at 8:30 in the morning my granddaughter Marianna, (23 months old), came into our back yard and said Papa come sit, she took my hand and we went into the house to have pancakes. Every time I tried to get up she grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the seat. Marianna is so beautiful and growing up so fast I decided to skip the Pure Fashion show and spent the day with Marianna and my wife.
As Suki and I talked about Marianna and our new grandson Matthew I could see that my wife wanted us to spend more time helping with our grandchildren just as our parents had done for us with our own children. I came to realize that I have been so busy that I was missing my own family. My granddaughter is growing up, my grandson was just born, (April 10th), my daughter Shahla is getting married July 8th, (three down one to go), and my parents are growing old.
With that in mind we made the following decisions, my wife is going to resign from her job to help Matt and Diana with our grandchildren Matthew and Marianna, and to help Shahla get ready for her wedding. I am canceling 4 Nights In October and beginning to focus my ministry on my family. I'm heading out to Seattle to spend some time with my mom and dad, spending a bunch more time with my wife, kids, and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, and possibly doing part of the Appalachian trail this summer with Sheila and Shahla.
For those that know me you understand what a tough decision this has been. You also know how important my family is to me and how blessed I am with 4 wonderful daughters, two great son-in-laws, (third one coming July 8th), two beautiful grandchildren, great parents, and the most incredible wife anybody could ask for. I know it is the right decision because the minute I told my daughters they all cried, (happy tears), what can I say we are an emotional Italian/Korean family. Apparently this is what they all wanted for some time, but are so supportive they wouldn't say so to me. I have a real peace about this decision.
The past 7 years have been incredible and we have accomplished some awesome ministry with the help of many of you. We've been blessed to have gone out to many colleges, schools and churches to speak on suicide prevention in young adults and teens. We have held numerous Christian concerts, Bible studies, started a live Christian Rock radio show, held sporting events and provided college scholarships to many students. We have had many of our young U-Night 17 kids head out all over the world on mission trips, sent two container loads of clothes and Bibles to Africa, helped OM get 100 wheelchairs over to young kids in Iraq, and supported our local churches and ministries wherever and whenever possible.
Most importantly we have been able to be part of seeing hundreds of young and old come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
I love music and will miss this a whole bunch but I've been blessed to be able to have gotten to know some great guys and bands.
My personal highlights have been to get to know the guys in Downhere, the Apologetix, Ezekiel's Eye, Fireflight, Casting Crowns, Subseven, Reuben, and Jubal's Kin, (Sean you rock). You guys are all amazing, keep your hearts for the ministry. I've seen so many bands and artists and you guys are the real deal.
I will email some of you individually because you have made a major impact in my life.
Thank you all so much for your support.
DREAM SO BIG THAT YOU ARE DOOMED TO FAIL WITHOUT CHRIST
TAKE RISK AND GOD BLESS jap
P.S. Come October to keep my mind off the fact that I won't be doing 4 Nights In October I think I will bring my family to an Ohio State Buckeyes football game.
We love you, John! And we know God will use you mightily in everything you do.
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