I’m really pleased with that for a couple of reasons.

1. You chose to give well over a thousand free downloads of our music away to people you really care about. One of the best parts was seeing the notes of encouragement you sent to one another alongside the downloads and to hear about the encouragement you draw from the music. That makes Laurie and I feel honored and humbled, so glad to be a part of what God is doing in the world through you and your people.

2. We set a goal that was too big for ourselves. We dreamed something that we couldn’t do without God and without you. I think that is very important. So rather than calling it quits, we’re stepping it up.

Giving Even Recklessly-er in 2012

For a long time we’ve enjoyed having suggested donations (not fixed prices) for CDs at our live events. We love being free to give and free to receive.

In that same spirit we’re embracing a self-determined pricing model for all our albums online, with the goal of getting the music God’s given us into more ears. And hearts, through the ears.

Now on our music page you can choose to pay zero for downloads (and join our email list), or if you want to sow something back into our ministry we’ll receive it gratefully and put it to good work.

I can think of three good responses to this.

1. Think of someone you care about and take a minute share one of our albums with them.

2. Post a favorite song with a quip about why you like it on your social network.

3. Do nothing because you are so zen.

If you like options 1 or 2, there’s a button on our music page that makes it really easy to email or post a link. Click this image and observe. In Facebook it even creates a little audio player, not just a link. Slick.

Thanks for being a part of what we do, and more importantly, what God is doing. We hope this empowers your generosity even further. Have fun sharing!

Visit the music page.

Buy your tickets at worship@8500.com.

Worship@8500 Worship Night
Divide, CO
Saturday June 25
$10 /7-10pm.

Feel free to come early (doors open at 5pm) to mingle and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Stay for s’mores around the fire pit until 11pm when the doors close.

If you’d like to come, RSVP to dunning.rebecca@gmail.com and she will reply with her home address.

A personal note from the Dunnings:

Join us in our home for a night with Tim and Laurie, dear friends of ours and talented musician/singer/songwriters. Expect some good fiddlin’, guitar, violin and who knows what else.

Details: The experience is by donation. You can’t put a price tag on a gathering like this so just come ready to give something. They’ll have several of their CDs available.

SORRY BUT: Due to limited space you will need to find childcare!!!

What to Bring: Bring either wine or a “fine” cheese to share.

Tim and I hope to see you there! Again, if you’d like to come, email dunning.rebecca@gmail.com

We’d like to help you do something special for them. We have a vision this year to give like never before to bless the church, especially those who do the work of the ministry.

You can go to http://www.theblackthornproject.com/give-recklessly and send a free digital copy of our new worship album, Reckless, to the people you know who fit that description. As many as you want!

Our goal is to give away 10,000 copies by 2012. That’s 30 every day! We’d be perfectly happy to send one to every single person you know who is in any form of ministry work.

Mason Jar Music Presents… Josh Garrels from Mason Jar Music on Vimeo.

I let the tea kettle burn on the stove because I could not stop this video.

Laurie and I are recording some parts for Josh’s new album through StringOverdubs.com. What an honor.

You can add this song to your permanent music collection here: music.theblackthornproject.com

Whisper Your Love
When I’m small
When I’m helpless
When I’m scared to leave the place where I hide
When my head is loud
but full of nothing
Oh how I need the sound of your voice

Every time I cry
help me remember

Your love is so great you lift up my heavy heart
You break off the ropes that burn my skin
Your love is so great you set me in open fields
You whisper your love, you whisper your love

When I’m small
When I’m helpless
When I’ve believed all the lies I’ve been told
When I’m tangled up in lesser loves
Oh how I need the strength of your touch

Every time I cry
help me remember

by Laurie and Tim Thornton–Contact us for licensing, CCLI info, and more specific chords.

Clicketh thou the link that rocketh or on the beautiful artwork (done by the amazing Kyle Steed) to hear the entire Reckless album now and get your copy for $9.99.

If you’re more of a physical CD kind of person, pre-orders of the actual disc are still available, and you can order one for $15 and receive an immediate download of the whole album as well. Your physical copy will ship free as soon as it comes in from manufacturing.

Kyle is finishing up the artwork as we speak, and we expect to have the package in had mid-August. Thanks to all who pre-ordered and donated to the cause. Because of you it is all being done debt-free!

If you have already pre-ordered your copy of Reckless but you either didn’t give us your email address or you haven’t heard from us regarding your free download of the album please email us at us@theblackthornproject.com and we’ll send you your free download code!

Here is some great camping info:  do you need to rent sleeping bags, or tents?  REI in the Springs rents all kinds of camping gear: Tents, pads, stoves, etc. They just don’t rent out sleeping bags. For a 3 man tent it’s around $20 for members of REI from Friday to Sunday and $25 for non members. Their phone number is (719) 260-1455.

1. Visit http://music.theblackthornproject.com

2. Preorder Reckless by entering enter your email, shipping address, and electronic payment. You’ll be among the first to get the new album when it comes out.

3. Check your email to start immediate download of the “Mud Song” rough mix

3-b. Fun notes on this version of “Mud Song”: In the Reckless session, the recording of “Mud Song” takes on a bit of Andean influence since the Simple Series release. This is a result of Tim’s recent trips to Peru where he was given a charango. The song features Steve Holley on upright bass, Karla Adolphe, Aaron Strumpel (also producer of Reckless), and Ben and Robin Pasley from Enter the Worship Circle: Fourth Circle on group party vocals! Tim and Aaron do the lo-fi percussion.

4. Realize you are a part of something very special. Many things, actually. Be thankful you are on the earth. It needs you.

One of the best things about Reckless is that it is not just our CD.

The vision (presented here in slick photo-rich PDF) was born in late 2009. A few days before Christmas, Tim dialed Aaron Strumpel from a Target parking lot in Dallas while Laurie was inside.

“Hey, do you want to make a worship album together?”

Aaron agreed to partner with us to make what is now Reckless, and since that moment many of our ministry partners and fans have also made this project their own by taking it personally and investing in it. They’ve given their prayers, time, talent, and dollars to share in it as a ministry endeavor.

The only thing standing in our way now is a mere $1600, which we need to finish the post-production and manufacturing of the physical CDs. We have committed to producing the CD debt-free.

That’s where preorders come in. There are two ways you can join the community that will link arms with us and get this puppy out in June. Fortunately there are some lovely rewards involved.

1. Preemptive Viral Strike.

This way is so easy we’re calling on every single person who likes our music to do it. You are now obligated.

Spread the word. We hope you’ll recommend the album to many of your friends anyway, so we’re asking you to do a preemptive strike:

Use word of mouth, Facebook, Twitter, etc, to say something personal about what TBP’s music is worth. Post a link to music.theblackthornproject.com. Click that link and then click “share” for an easy way to embed a snippet of “Mud Song” into your blog, Facbeook page, etc. Ask your friends to preorder along with you. Preorder one for a friend or family member! Your personal recommendation is priceless.

Nice job. Now, there are two levels of preorder.

2-A. Casual Level: Pre-order the CD now for a $15 donation and get a free download of a rough-mixed “Mud Song” (listen to a snippet here).

OR, if you want to put a larger (tax-deductable) amount toward the completion of the album,

2-Q. Stellar Level: Pre-order the CD now for a donation of $25 or more and receive the free download of the rough-mix of “Mud Song” as well as a hipster Reckless button and our personal thanks on an autographed poster of the original, yet-to-be-revealed, album art. Shwanky.

No matter which option you choose, you will undoubtedly be the first to receive your copy of Reckless upon it’s release. Yes, we’re that close to being able to hold our new CD, Reckless, in our hands (hopefully be by the end of June). When that happens we will immediately tell our hands to stopping hogging it and get to work shipping it straight to your ears.

Follow any of the links above or click here to pre-order your copy of Reckless today!

PS, thank you!