Meeting Mark Hall from Casting Crowns

How many times have we heard "Trust the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart?" One of my desires for a good while has been to meet Mark Hall from Casting Crowns. We have translated and recorded some of the songs that Mark Hall has written and sung with Casting Crowns. These songs have been such a blessing to my life and I have always wanted to meet him.

Last Night, I received a phone call from a wonderful friend who said "Can you meet Mark Hall tomorrow for lunch?" I could not hardly speak. I almost thought that it was a joke but it was true. I could not hardly sleep last night and I kept thinking over and over in my head what I was going to say to him when I met him.

This morning, I woke up and I called Stephany and Philip jr and told them that it was time to go. We met at a restaurant close to Atlanta but we got there about 10 minutes early. I was really nervous and Stephany was making fun of me. She would say "there he is" and it would be someone else. At exactly the time he said he would be there, he walked in. I walked up to him and shook his hand and we started to talk. I had the opportunity to talk to him about our ministry and about our group.

After a few minutes, I realized how down to earth he was. So many people can receive a little bit of glory and they get very prideful but here was Mark Hall, the lead singer for the most popular christian music group in the history of the U.S. and he was humble and down to earth. He asked questions, I asked questions and we even laughed together. Every minute I was with him, the more relaxed I became.

I don't know if we will ever meet again but I hope so but even if we don't, I was taught an important lesson today. No matter how much fame and glory you may receive on this earth, it all belongs to God. There is a huge difference between ministering and just singing and we have always tried to minister in everything we do but here is a man that has won about every award he can ever win and has had all the glory he could ever stand but he is not effected. Why? Because his heart is in the ministry. He does not just sing but he is also a youth pastor and he loves young people.

I hope to meet him again and I hope to call him not just a friend but a close friend but nevertheless, it feels my heart with hope to know that there are still wonderful, faithful men who have a burden to help win the lost for Christ.

May God Bless You,
Philip