[Petra-JohnSchlitt] English Petra Newsletter 11/18/02

[Sue@JohnWSchlitt.com]

11/18/02

Hello folks! This is John, just thanking you for your perseverance with my
website. Sorry about the confusion of changing domain names, but sometimes
when you're dealing with personalities, we have to suffer the consequences.
But thank you so much for finding this new website and sticking with it!

We have a lot of exciting things happening with Petra over the Christmas
season. First of all, it is Christmas - my favorite holiday of all times.
and I actually like Thanksgiving a lot too, because my wife's a great cook!

I think a lot of prayers have been going up for us in Petra. We appreciate
it and we can feel it. We believe that God is ready to do great things; He
has already done that. The record company, Inpop, has been very supportive
of us and it looks like they're looking towards a rock album, a Petra rock
record that a lot of you have been asking for. Now it's just a matter of
writing. Bob, of course, has continued to write all the time. We're trying
to find that direction, that type of music that will fit the Petra format,
but also be an album that will be current enough to be useful for several
generations.

So all in all, I think the band is doing fantastic; they are great
musicians, great guys, and Godly men. As a lead singer, as the person
responsible for the organization of the live portion, I'm very pleased and
very proud of them and I thank God for what He's put across our path this
year. Looking back - especially now that it's November - looking back at
this year, it's been very up and down. But really, all in all, I think it's
been more my perspective and as you look in hindsight, you see how God has
been working in so many different ways with so many different people. All I
can say is thank you, Jesus, and maybe for a change I can start seeing the
future with the eyes of Jesus Christ, rather than the eyes of a concerned
insecure human. I stand here in front of God, saying "Thank you Lord for the
past and thank you for the future."

As far as the solo thing - boy, that's an up and down thing for me. I've got
a solo record, as you all well know, that has been "sitting in the can" for
about two years, which means that it's possible that the music is almost too
dated now, so that's a little concern of mine. although it was a very
cutting unusual record when we did it, so it may still be very appropriate.

I'm also working with some key people in my studio at home and starting to
create some new music. I'm never letting go of the solo thing, but again,
with Petra, I have to put it first as I always have. I was totally confident
that I was going to put out another solo record very soon, which we still
may. We've been talking with the record company about possibly putting this
record up for sale just on my website, so keep that in mind. The webmasters
and people in charge of this site will - I guarantee you - the minute they
get a chance to have it, it will be out there in its full glory! I prefer
having it out in public, but then on the other hand, to be less confusing
towards Petra, it might be the best thing to put it on the website and just
sell it through there. I thank you all for your curiosity about it and your
interest, and hopefully we'll be able to bring it to you soon!

Folks, if God puts it on your heart - please pray for us. I know you have,
and I know the prayers have been felt by all of us. Let's go forward; let's
see what God has for us and let's look forward to an exciting future, and I'
ll talk to you again.

John