Free Stuff!!

Of all the words in the english language, "free" gets a lot of face time and publicity. Well, once again, free is getting some props since greatworshipsongs.com is giving away me for free. My latest recording "Everything You Do" all the songs, all for free. (For a limited time). Have at it friends and I hope it points you to Jesus. Click the link and fill in all the blanks to get your free download. CLICK HERE greatworshipsongs.com/carlcartee

Let me know what you think about the music!

Blessings,

CC

Elvis and MJ

I was three years old when Elvis died.
The First Pentecostal Church had a flat bed trailer that we pulled into the parking lots of department stores to set up a little worship service. They called it the Gospel Wagon.
We were having Gospel Wagon one night in the parking lot of Nichols department store in Gastonia, NC. It was the late 70’s and I was wearing polyester. At some point during the worship service, nature called and my 3-year-old bladder was filled. So, I told Mama that I had to go potty and she took me into Nichols to use the bathroom. I did my business and we started to make our way back to the parking lot. Before were able to get out of the store though, we heard the manager come over the PA to make a special announcement. “Attention shoppers, we are sad to report that Elvis Pressley has been found dead. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Elvis Pressley has been found dead. It is a sad night for all of us.” As soon as the announcement ended, a wave of emotion swept through Nichols. I was only three, but I will never, never forget it. People started running, teenage cashiers began weeping at their registers, people were buzzing everywhere but seemed lost as to what they should do. I remember really clearly my mom taking me by the hand and leading me back out to the Gospel Wagon where we just continued worshipping and having a big time there in the parking lot. For her, Elvis died but the true and living God was still the same and we were still going to worship him.
Last week, just as I walked on stage to lead worship, someone whispered to me that Michael Jackson had been found dead. I loved his music so much and remembered just how amazingly famous he had become at the peak of his career. But before I could let myself get too sad, I remembered Elvis and his passing and how my Mom reacted. The moment reminded me that we’re all fragile and confirmed once again that our God is eternal. All things of this earth are passing away but not matter what, our response to Jesus is still the same, he is worthy, because he’s overcome the grave and hell. The death of MJ is sad and tragic for sure, but where else can we turn but to the Everlasting Savior when we are confronted with the frailty of life and the brokenness of sin. Jesus is our only true and lasting hope. Christ is worthy of worship in tragedy and at the highest peak of success: All of this ends, but He never changes.

Summer Camp Season

The time has come for us to leave on our annual worship leading trip around the south east. Student Summer camps have been a part of our work for nearly 15 years. I was so blessed today to hear from a friend of mine who said that he works at a church with a great worship leader. He told me this guy was encouraged to lead worship at a camp I did when he was just 14. It makes me know that this work does have Kingdom value and lasts much longer than me. So here we go: pregnant wife, little kids and a blessed worship leader, knowing that God has a plan for me and for those I get to lead. Please don't forget to pray for us.

For Guitar Players

Ok, here’s one for the worship leader/ guitar player goof-up files.
Upon finishing first service this morning, I removed my capo, which I used for the last song of the set and clamped it onto my head-stock (Note: I was playing my Tele). When the second service started, I picked up my guitar and started playing the intro to the first song when musical chaos broke out. My E string was way out of tune. So much so that I thought I was the victim of a saboteur. It was a step and a half sharp and nothing but sabotage could explain why a perfectly in tune guitar would instantly go so horribly out of tune. So for the whole first song, I played avoiding the E string. At the end of the first song, I made a joke about it, re-tuned and moved on. The rest of the set went fine until we get to the last song again. I remove the capo from the head-stock to place it on the neck. Once again, the E string is horribly out of tune. Ahhh!!! What is wrong with my guitar?! I almost speed dialed Randy Hughes right then and there. It was all one frantic, harmonic swirl of dissonance. Then it dawned on me: I was the saboteur, unaware. After the use of the capo in the first service, when I moved it from the neck to the head-stock, I accidentally clamped the capo down onto the E string, of the very narrow Tele head-stock. When I re-tuned after the second song I was actually tuning a “clamped string” (capo is still on the headstock at this point). When it was time to play the final song of the set again, I removed the capo from the head-stock to place it on the neck, releasing the E string, but now it’s sounding a half step flat. Chaos again. Ahhhh! Fortunately for me, Bill Wellons was mid-prayer and I had time to re-tune again and gather myself for the final song without subjecting the Holy Ghost and all of Brentwood to another round of tuning torture. What a funny sequence of events. I felt like I was Chevy Chase when he got his own talk show that time: Trying hard, but not quite sure what to do.

Inspire 09 Report

For those of you who were there, you already know that we had a first class time at this year's Inspire Worship Conference. Our second annual event kicked off with registrants from 18 different states and 2 foreign countries (yes, we went international this year). Inspire International, a scholarship program for worship leaders across the globe, was launched at this years conference. We extended this year's award to Mrs. Joy King from Cape Town South Africa. It was such a great encouragement to hear her testimony and see what God is doing around the planet. Dave Buehring and Dr. Pete Sanchez joined me in a little preaching and teaching, Tommy Walker, Pocket Full of Rocks and the Inspire Worship Band led worship for the main sessions.
Once again God confirmed what he is doing in me by the encouragement of so many and the work of the Spirit in my heart. Pastoring worship leaders and encouraging them in their ministries is what God continues to add to this ministry. I'm blessed to be walking into this calling. It feels very much like an unknown country, but there is a light and a lamp for my feet.
Here are a few photo highlights form the 2009 conference.

Our birth announcement

Well, we're having a boy!! Boy number three in the Cartee household, means my grocery bill goes up, but my prom dress expenses are zero. I am so thankful to God for three little warriors in this family. Heather and I announced her pregnancy on facebook, but I thought we'd let you see our good news here on the blog too. Enjoy.

Go Heels!!

I have been a Carolina fan my whole life. Go heels Go!

Inspire Worship Conference!!! Early Bird Rate ends tomorrow!

Hey people,
Registration is blowing up on the site for Inspire and it's because tomorrow is the last day for you to get your registration for the cheapest deal possible. After tomorrow, registration rates increase, so if you want to come for the best price, sign up before tomorrow. This years Conference is going to be awesome...we've gone international with our first signups. We have someone coming from the Netherlands and from South Africa!! I love it! To register go to inspireworshipconference.com
See you there, CC

Those Kids

When we lead worship at Fellowship Bible, our weekend begins on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 for rehearsal and the first service. The next morning it starts around 5:30 AM to get the boys up and ready to be at church by 7 for sound check and another quick rehearsal.
The last time I was leading worship, my friend John Mays (playing bass that day) looked at my boys and said what a great picture they were. I had not noticed until he pointed them out, but they were indeed a unique sight. Both sitting on the front row of an empty sanctuary watching me prepare the band for the early morning service. Ezra in his car carrier looking sleepy eyed and silent was drifting off for a little nap. Oak, still in his coat and hat was eating goldfish from a Ziploc bag and watching Cars on his portable DVD player. The way John pointed them out was saying more about who they were than how they looked. They’re cute, but they are also those kids: ones who get drug to church every time the door is open and their life is wrapped up in the work of ministry. John and I both grew up as “those kids” and his comment called attention to something that I had casually over looked. These boys are church kids. Their impressions of Heather and me will have as much to do with being a part of the local church than anything else. We are Church people. We love the Church.
As I looked at the boys that morning it made me think about my own life. I wonder how much hell was held back from my life simply because I was never far from the people of God, the culture of prayer and the Bible.
I pray that when the boys grow up and can choose where they spend their time and devote their affection, that they will still be “those kids”.

52 Letters

Happy new year! It's so much fun to see time fly while remembering that every second counts for something. I am a resolution guy. I love to make new years resolutions. I know they are targets for cynics, but I try to go about them a little differently. I like making resolutions that influence the future of other people, not ones to improve my abs or stop drinking so much Diet Coke. I am about 50 pages away from finishing the epic John Adams biography by David McCullough. As a huge player in America's fight for independence, John Adam's wrote letters to everyone. He used his pen to effect change in American leadership. He also exchanged a famously romantic lifetime of letters with his wife Abigail. Writing letters was one way he expressed his greatest passions. I love the idea of the old fashioned letter. Pens, paper, stamps and feelings are one of the best ways to connect intangible emotions with our senses. Not to mention, letters have ways of preserving sentiment and truth unlike any other communication (see The New Testament). So, inspired by John Adams and others like him, I declare 2009 the year of the letter. I'll write one a week for 52 weeks. Check the mail, you might be on the list.