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PHOTO JOURNAL - 2022.01.22 - Anne U. White Trail

Last weekend, Rochelle found this trail out in Boulder so we decided to give it ago. We only made it about a 1/3 of the way through because we were basically hiking on ice. Well, the kids loved it so much, we decided to go again today. Rochelle got us all Yaktrax(little spikes for the bottom of our boots) and it made this trail a breeze. It took us quite awhile to get to the end and back, but it was so fun. Took these photos on my new Leica Q and could not be happier. I’ve been without a camera(digital, still have my film cameras) for over a year now besides the Fuji x100T my friend Zach let me borrow for a good bit. So glad to have this amazing camera to capture memories on.

FAMILYPaul YerrickJanuary 22, 2022colorado, boulder, leica, leica q, family, anne u. white trail, hiking Comment

PHOTO JOURNAL - 2021.03.05

Our first time at the Denver Zoo. Definitely has a leg up on the Phoenix zoo. Had a great day walking around, hanging at the park and ended it at the Denver Milk Market for some good eats.

Paul Yerrick PhotographyMarch 6, 2021Comment

DON'T QUESTION MY TIME

Friends fight. Brothers FIGHT. There's a bit of truth that comes out when brothers really go at it. We know what to say; we know how to hit. We know the soft spots, and we typically don't hold back when true frustration arises. I've been a part of many of these brawls.

Paul Yerrick PhotographyMarch 6, 2021Paul YerrickComment

WHAT I'VE LEARNED AS A MUSIC DIRECTOR

I've been playing music for over half of my life now. I've played with Grammy award winners, lyrical geniuses, and I've also played with people just picking up a guitar for the first time. That said, most of my career as a musician, I've been far from the best "player" on the stage. I remember the first time playing guitar for 5000+ people at the age of 23, so nervous because my guitar part was starting the song. We started the song three times, and on the third time, our keys player took the part and played it for me(thank God). Two years after that, I wasn't much better, I had just gotten resigned, and I found myself in a music director role at one of the largest churches in America. I was in way over my head, and I was still the least talented player on most of the platforms I was playing on.

Fast forward to present day, April 29th, 2020. Still one of the least talented players I know... but 100% ok with it. How did I get here?

Paul Yerrick PhotographyApril 29, 2020 Comments

YOUNG LEADERS: 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED.

It’s not easy, I’ll give you that. Being the smartest, best-looking, most creative person in the room is tough when you’re the one taking coffee orders and making copies for the rest of the group. Biting your tongue when someone is talking about something you know nothing about is excruciating. In all seriousness, it can be really tough being a young leader, especially if you’re not surrounded by great leaders. It feels like you’re always on a job interview, even when you’ve got the job. It seems like your work is always under a microscope before you know it; someone has taken a sledgehammer to your shoulder. Well, I hear you, and I’m with you, but push through it, I promise it’s worth it. Here are five tips to help you succeed as a young leader.

Paul YerrickJuly 2, 2019Comment

GUEST BLOG: ANDY CHERRY

My good friend, Andy Cherry, wrote on his instagram last week a really special post. As I read through it, I couldn’t help but be thankful for such a thoughtful, honest, and inspiring friend. Andy and I have a quite unique and special bond and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the things I’ve learned from him and continue to learn from him. With that said, I pray that these words touch you as much as they did me when I first read them in his story. Thanks bro, love you dearly.

Paul Yerrick PhotographyMay 14, 2019 Comment

HAVE I REACHED MY CEILING?

So, after a few attempts to get together, we finally just hopped on a phone call, and I was finally able to get this question off my chest, "have I reached my ceiling at MISSION?" A little silence at the other end, nothing to worry about until I received a response. "Paul..." Never a great thing when someone calls you by name after you've already been speaking for a few minutes. "Paul, do you want the answer you want to hear or the answer you need to hear?" I answered "both" because I didn't want to be that guy who says "just tell me what I want to hear."

Paul Yerrick PhotographyFebruary 2, 2019Comment

I WANT A FOURTH KID

My wife and I have been going back and forth about having just one more. Rochelle wants this so badly, but I am just not on board. She talks about years down the road, when we're at Disneyland and when one of us has to ride solo because there's an odd number. I gladly raise my hand and volunteer. She talks about big family gatherings in 20 years, and I think about serving bread and milk because of college and two weddings I just had to pay for. She thinks about a house that our kids grow up in and growing old in that same house until I die first... I think about selling our home as soon as the kids are out, buying a shack on the beach and working at a rent-a-scooter shop. She wants a fourth kid so badly, and all I can think about is how divided my time is already.

FAMILYPaul Yerrick PhotographyJanuary 25, 2019family, loss Comment

WHY I DO vs WHY I DON'T

When I first moved here to Phoenix, I was overwhelmed by the number of theological conversations I found myself in. I don't dare say "deep" because what is "deep."Intellectually stimulating? Thought provoking? Infuriating? Convicting? These conversations were both liberating and confining at the same time. How could I feel so free and yet so limited at the same time?

Paul YerrickJanuary 20, 2019Comment

I MISS YOU TOO

Today, I was dropping my son Cohen off to school and told him I was leaving for a few days and wouldn't see him when he got home. Like usual, I asked him to be the best helper he could and to listen to his mom. He said he would and also said that he would make sure he asked if his sisters were ok if they started crying(something we went over the other night). Then very enthusiastically he asked, "are you going to find your mom?!" You see, not very long ago, I spent two weeks away from home, walking the streets of Seoul, South Korea, in search of my birth mother and Cohen remembers this time very well. "Are you going to find your mom?!" "No son, not this time. I'm just going to go play my guitar with a bunch of friends." We sat in silence for just a min or two which for him means he's crafting a novel in his head, he's a deep thinker. "Dad, I think you're going to find your mom." I don't really know how to ever respond to that except by saying, "I hope so." Another minute pause in the conversation.

FAMILYPaul YerrickJanuary 18, 2019missing, searching, family Comments

CRITICAL FEEDBACK

3 years ago, I accepted the role in leading our worship and production team at my church. I wasn't sure if I even wanted the role at the time, we were sort of in shambles. Today, I really believe our team is thriving, and it's due to a few things, one of those being critical feedback. Besides focusing on healthy relationships and culture, one of the very first things we put in place was good, critical feedback. What's good critical feedback? It's feedback that your team needs to hear for the sake of progress. Feedback with the purpose of supporting your team's mission and vision. Our first step towards this was implementing a meaningful review after each weekend. We celebrated the wins of the weekend. What was great? What are we proud of? What things are repeatable? But good critical feedback doesn't stop there. After we celebrated the wins, we spent a good portion of time on what we(and many) call "The Last 10%."

Paul YerrickJanuary 16, 2019Comment

SO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR CHURCH...

People leaving the church or church hopping is at an alarming rate these days. Whether it's the color of the carpet, the preacher isn't deep enough, or music is better over there, it can be frustrating or even hurtful to the staff and pastors serving at these churches. That being said, what else do we expect from our congregants when the example of church hopping comes straight from the staff and pastors serving at these churches? The average tenure of a senior pastor is around 8 years. The average tenure of a worship pastor is 2 years. Youth pastors make it around 18 months. The example being set is that going from one church to the next is no big deal and can/should be expected. Grab me a Michelob while I let this sink in.

Paul YerrickJanuary 15, 2019 Comment

PAUL YERRICK