Friends | FFH

So This Is What It Feels Like

3 CommentsJanuary 16, 2012

It’s a Beautiful Thing

I remember when Florida was relaxing. Early on in our careers, Jennifer and I would plan a couple of extra days after our concerts just to chill whenever we were invited to play in a Florida town. We didn’t have kids then, and since we were on the road almost all year, there wasn’t much for us to rush home for. Orlando has always been our favorite Florida city. Orlando’s Z88.3 was one of the first radio stations to play FFH, even before we were signed to a record deal. Back then, Scott Smith and Lisa Williams were there (both are now at K-LOVE) and we all became friends. (Jennifer and I seriously toyed with the idea of moving there in our twenties) And whenever we played a concert in one of the theme parks they would let us ride a couple of rides for free before the show. We have a lot of great memories in Florida, and in God’s kindness, we continue to get to make more. It’s different now though. Florida isn’t nearly as relaxing when you bring your kids, as we were reminded again this week.

Sara’s wedding was beautiful and we all had a special time, even though I messed up the words to the song I wrote for her and Vince. (I recorded a scratch version on my phone and included it at the end of this letter) Sadie-Claire found a friend at the reception and they danced all night long. Hutch was very handsome and mature as well. Jennifer and I got to reconnect with some old friends and had a genuinely nice time. The Bristol family is very generous, and when they invited us to be a part of the wedding they also offered to bless us with a few extra nights at the hotel and a couple of days at the theme parks. Rick is well connected so he asked a couple of his friends who work at the parks to comp us in. Where he didn’t have a connection he just paid for us. Hutch and Sadie made sure he got his money’s worth and Jennifer and I used the opportunity to have our new press picture taken…

I thought I might get a little time to think about the future this week and maybe get into the Clear Air that I talked about on Tuesday… Nope. When there are princesses to meet and a Lego park to get to there’s no time to think. I tried to read my Bible in the mornings when I took the kids to the lobby for breakfast, but It was nuts there too. It’s summer break in South America and much of the continent was at our Hampton Inn. Once breakfast was over we left for the parks and came home just before bed. So not-relaxing. But the kids loved it and that’s what matters now. I couldn’t care less about seeing Mickey or riding a ride, but when the kids light up, I light up and all of a sudden it doesn’t matter how bad my feet hurt or that I just bought a six-dollar soft pretzel. So this is what that feels like.

We’re starting our descent back into Nashville and back into our “normal” lives. It snowed while we were gone and I’m glad we missed it, but I remembered this week that the back window on my Jeep is unzipped and I’ll probably have to scoop slush out of it before I drive it. It’s going to get busy again but I’m thankful that God allowed us a few days of distraction from what has been a very heavy season for the kids and us.

Stay warm,
Jeromy

Here’s the song for Sara and Vince (recorded on my iPhone) Jennifer and I played and sang it right before the “You may kiss the bride” part of the wedding, then again at the reception; along with several other FFH songs that Sara has loved since she was in junior high school. Sara had sent me the story of her and Vin’s relationship and some of the specific things that they’ve been through and what they call each other, etc. That’s where I learned that Vincent was Sara’s first kiss, that he calls her his “Jewel”, that he’s a Fireman, etc. That will help it make more sense. Enjoy!

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Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Friends, Song, Wedding@10:41 am

So This Is What It Feels Like

CommentDecember 22, 2011

When I Was Their Age

I just sat down at my favorite table at Panera Bread, the one by the fire, on a very rainy, not-at-all-Christmassy, Thursday in Franklin. I prefer Merridee’s, but Panera has carpet and a fireplace and Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, so I often end up here on colder days. Matthew West must use the same logic. We ran into each other at Merridee’s yesterday and he’s over here at Panera this morning too. I’ve been trying to sit down and write this letter all week but life and Christmas have been getting in the way. Jennifer and the kids are out shopping for me this morning so I’ve got a small window.

I’ve mentioned to you a few times about the young musician friends I’ve been spending time with, helping them find their way in the weird world of artistry. (We’ve been together every week for a year-and-a-half-now and it’s starting to feel like family) I’ve been thinking about the guys a lot lately and it’s caused me to remember many of the people who helped me when I was their age struggling to make sense of what God had for me.

I just used the phrase “When I was their age,” and something got sort-of tight in my chest. So This Is What That Feels Like.

I was fortunate to have a few guys really care about me when I was in my early twenties. Some of them took pity on me, some saw potential, and others just knew I needed some good honest friends. Many of them did whatever they could to help my fledgling little band get going. I recently found this picture of FFH in the mid-nineties floating around on Facebook. I think Jennifer and I were still dating when this was taken. She and I would get married the next year and she’d join the band a year after that.

That was a fun but scary time of life. I was making up the rules as I went along. I heard fifty “Nos” for every “Yes”. I was borrowing money from parents and friends that never made me pay them back and I was practicing and playing music almost all of the time. I didn’t really care about being famous, but I wanted desperately to be able to play music as my only job. I’d dropped out of college after a semester, so for me there was no Plan-B.

My guys are in that stage now. One of them, Brett (the one we are always trying to find a wife for), has just finished a record and is on the verge of something new. None of us know exactly what it means but we’re doing all we can to support him. He moved here from Alabama a couple of years ago and has been busy writing music and leading worship whenever he’s asked, mixing smoothies at 9Fuits to pay for it. This latest record is a big step for him. The recording is finished and he’s trying to raise money to complete the artwork and packaging and get his CDs pressed so people will hear it. It reminds me of when we made an album called One Of These Days back in 1997 (I think). We put all we had into it, and with some generous help from some friends it turned out great. The radio back in Lancaster started playing it and told some others about it. A few months later a record company signed us and released a re-named version of the album nationwide. Today that album has sold 500,000 copies. All because some people believed in us.

Attached is one of my favorite songs from Brett’s new record. It’s free to you with absolutely no strings attached, I’m just proud of him and want to help him get the music to others.

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If he comes to mind, please pray for him. And if you feel led to help him with the last bit of funding you can support him with a gift at http://kck.st/sj70sh. I think he’s close to his goal but he’s only got a few days left to make it. (If you help him fund the CD you get a free copy of the album when it comes out) Where was this stuff when we were their age?!

Please know that there is positively nothing in it for me. I told you I wouldn’t use this platform to sell you stuff and I won’t start now. I just want to help connect you with some good music from some good friends.

If I don’t talk to you before Sunday, have a very restful and merry Christmas.

Peace and rest-
Jeromy

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Bands, Friends, Music@6:50 pm

Meridee’s Monday

6 CommentsJuly 6, 2010

You may or may not have caught my posting on Facebook this week asking for help with some mold questions. I was a little nondescript in the posting because we weren’t exactly sure what we were dealing with. We know a little more now. I’d like to share it with you and then tell you what this past weekend was like. To bring you up to speed, here is an email I sent to some of my church friends at the end of last week describing what is going on with our home…

For the past several years Jennifer and I have been patching and re-patching an annoying roof leak around our chimney. During the flood things got really messy and bucketfuls of water leaked into our bonus room. We were away at the time and our AC was off. When yet another contractor opened it up to find the source of the leak he discovered mold. When the mold “specialist” came to remove it last week he took a sample to have it tested. Turns out it’s a very toxic strain of black mold called Stachybotrys. It’s nasty stuff, causing all kinds of health problems with prolonged exposure.

Three nationally recognized and trusted mold experts told Jennifer and I yesterday that we CAN NOT go back home until the entire house is tested and every room containing traces of the mold is cleaned with a bio agent. Anything in that room will have to be either thrown away or bio-cleaned, whatever that means. Best-Case Scenario: it’s all contained in the bonus room and we can move back in as soon as the things from the bonus room are either throw away or deemed safe and the rest of the house is proven to be mold free. (The furniture and kids toys are being thrown away today) Worst-Case Scenario: The mold has traveled through the HVAC and has infected the whole house in which case we lose most everything. Chances are we will land somewhere between the two extremes. Either way, we can’t go home until we get the process going which Jennifer is beginning today with a Consumer Advocate mold specialist in Atlanta. He will be coming up to Franklin to head up the project.

Right now we are in St Louis at Jennifer’s family farm. This was a planned visit. I’m driving back down to Nashville tomorrow to get Fritz and lead worship at Fellowship for the weekend. I’ll stay at Brian and Jannell’s and will likely drive back up here and we will commute to our shows and to Nashville from St Louis at least for the next three weeks. Our Consumer Advocate told us that as soon as the house is assessed and tests are completed and results come back we will know the next step. It may mean renting a place in Nashville for a couple of months while we get this all sorted.

WISDOM is what we are asking you to pray for us to receive. WISDOM and PATIENCE to walk in step with Jesus as he opens and closes doors for us, and to not get ahead of ourselves but take it an hour at a time, reminding ourselves that “it’s just a house”, we’re safe, kids are healthy, etc.

Thanks for listening and thanks for caring.

The ten or so people I sent to message to were kind and generous in their responses, several offering their homes to me for the weekend while I traveled back to Franklin to lead worship. I was able to stay at Jennifer’s sisters place but the additional invitations were nice nonetheless.

It was strange to come home and not be able to really go home. Our mold adviser strongly discouraged us from even entering the house briefly so I just stopped over to get the dog and a few things from the garage and left. Fritz had been being let out by a friend for about a week and was so happy to see me that he peed. He and I went over to Jannell and Brian’s and got settled and then went to Merridee’s for a salad and then up Main Street to Starbucks.

Under normal circumstances this would be a night I’d look forward to, even if I were by myself. I was at my favorite bakery, having my favorite sandwich, walking to my coffee shop having my favorite drink. (Grande – Decaf – Mocha – Frappachino Light – With Extra Ice – In a Venti Cup – With Whip) But it wasn’t fun at all. It was depressing. I saw some friends and walked the other way. The whole weekend was like this. Same town, same car, same dog, but no Jennifer, no kids, no house. Everything was turned on it’s head. I know it’s “just a house” but it’s what happens there that is special. It’s where our life happens and I felt like an outsider not being able to go back.

The only time I felt normal all weekend was at Fellowship. The Body of Jesus really is a family and I felt at home when I was there. I only know a handful of people at Fellowship really well. Most are loose acquaintances and lots more I’ve never even met. None of that mattered. I was with family, I could tell in my spirit, and it felt good. Again God used something hard to show me something new.

Have a restful week. If you have any black mold experience we’d definitely appreciate hearing about it. Be safe –

Jeromy

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Church, Family, Friends, House, Kids, Mold, Travel@9:59 am

So This Is What It Feels Like

CommentMarch 26, 2010

So This Is What It Feels Like
2010.03.26

In 2005 my friend Mike gave me a book called “A Guide To Prayer For All God’s People” written, in part, by Rueben Job. It has been my Bible companion ever since, through Africa, kids, MS, everything. Turns out that Rueben now lives here in Tennessee, fifteen minutes from my house, so this morning I went to visit him.

When I arrive, Rueben meets me at the door to his complex and leads me to the elevator and down the hall to he and Beverly’s third floor apartment. I walk into the room and the smell of cookies baking makes my shoulders relax. I realize right away that I am stepping out of normal Nashville-time and into something much more sacred. Rueben is welcoming and gentle just like I though he would be. His eighty-two year old heart is week so he talks slow and hushed, which seems to make the atmosphere even more Holy. My friend Mike is there too and he and I settle into recliners and Rueben and Beverly serve us cookies and coffee to dip them in. The space is warm and uncluttered and it reminds me of home. When I was a kid I spent most of my time with my grandparents, Amos and Leah, Maw Maw and Paw Paw as we call them. We lived in Lancaster Pennsylvania and like so many families there Amos and Leah grew up Amish. Just after they married and just before they had kids Maw Maw and Paw Paw left the Amish tradition and turned Mennonite. They left the Mennonite tradition shortly thereafter opting for hairstyles and chrome bumpers and movies. They stayed close to family though and I grew up visiting lots of Amish relatives with them. I loved those visits. Even without electricity and telephones, Amish lives are interesting. Conversations at Amish houses are long and involved, not just words in passing, and the jokes are sarcastic and perfectly timed. We usually made our visits during lunch and I would inevitably fall into a carb-induced coma on the sofa afterward. I loved falling asleep to the sound of my grandparents and aunts and uncles talking. It was so safe. That’s what this morning was like. I even mentioned before we left how I felt like I could sleep hoping that Rueben would say, “Stay and rest a while,” but he didn’t take the bait.

Last night our friends Missy and Anthony came over to talk about their upcoming wedding ceremony. Jennifer and I sort of feel like we had some hand in their getting together so we thought we should be in the wedding. Hutch and Sadie-Claire had to go to bed without much attention from us since we were visiting with our friends and I later told Jennifer how missing bedtime made me feel guilty. She told me not to worry and how she used to love falling asleep to the sound of the grown ups talking. Then I remembered that I loved it too. Then this morning happened and now I’m wondering what the Lord is up to. I’m meeting with Rueben again in two weeks to find out.