The personal blog of Eric Frisch, focused on faith, music, and simple living.
A few Sundays ago, I had the opportunity to lead the music at the church where I work part-time. This used to be a weekly routine for me. I’ve been playing and singing in church since I was very young and spent nearly 15 years working in churches as a music director. These days, my role is technical director, so my focus is on audio, video, and lighting. But I’m still fortunate to be able to get…
Years ago when we were dating, my wife gave me a little perpetual calendar for my desk. That calendar has been with me for nearly a decade now, quietly counting off the days, weeks, and months of school, work, and life as they pass. It has become one of my favorite physical possessions. The calendar doesn't track years, so there is nothing particularly significant about January 1. It is simply the…
I wrote yesterday that 2025 was a fairly "safe" year for my music listening. By contrast, this was one of the most varied reading years that I have had in a long time! I set a goal to finish 12 books in 2025 and ended the year at 14. Short books still count! This list includes my usual mix of physical, digital, and audiobooks and, as always, is in addition to my daily Bible reading. For the third…
Each December since this blog began, I’ve shared a brief recap of my listening and reading for the year. This year, I realized that I wanted to write a bit more than usual, so I’m breaking it into two posts. We’ll do music today and books tomorrow! Early in the year, I commented that 2025 was going to be “the year of Canadian folk.” That prediction largely turned out to be true, as my Spotify…
It finally feels like fall in Ohio, so I thought it might be time for a quick post about what I’ve been up to since I last wrote here. At the beginning of the summer, my wife and I completed a 6-month project to hike every mile of trail in our wonderful local park system . Someone from the Metro Parks team saw my post about this on Facebook and asked me to contribute to their newsletter in July,…
Like most people, I have a complicated relationship with my smartphone. I spend too much time with it, distracted from more important things. I'm concerned about social engineering, misinformation, and privacy. And, to put it simply, I feel worse the more I use it. I realize I'm one tiny voice in a huge chorus of people with these concerns. And, like many others, I've been taking steps in an…
I didn’t write much in 2024, but I did lose 35 pounds. Each year, I make a list of goals. I don’t necessarily think of them as New Year’s resolutions, just ways that I would like to express my values and interests in the coming year. In 2023, I did really well with my goals, except one. Like so many, the exception that tripped me up was physical health. I wanted to lose some weight and get in…
'Tis the season for year-end lists! I enjoy seeing everyone's yearly recaps and sharing my own each December, so let's get right into it! I set a goal for 2024 to read 12 books, and I’m happy to say I met that goal. This list includes my usual mix of physical copies, ebooks, and audiobooks: A Place of My Own - Michael Pollan Die With Zero - Bill Perkins For You - Patrick Rhone Ghost Rider - Neal…
In my experience, two things happen as soon as I complete a creative project I'm proud of: I want to do it again I can't I don't think I'm alone in this. How many bands have struggled to follow up on that breakout debut album? Why are movie sequels often so much worse than the original? It's a great feeling when everything comes together creatively, but it isn't something that can be manufactured.…
I am still here. Reading more than posting. Listening more than speaking. Reflecting. 2024 has been a wild but rewarding year. I started a new part-time church job in January and transitioned to a new role at my full-time job in July. I have traveled a lot (for both work and pleasure) and made music with friends, new and old. I have been exercising more and trying to eat better. I have some ideas…
As 2023 comes to a close, my feeds are full of year-end lists. I always enjoy reading these lists and sharing my own. I didn't read much in 2022, so I set a goal to read 10 books this year to get back in gear. In the end, I read 11, so I'm happy to have reached that goal! I'm also still reading Norman Wirzba's collection of essays by Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace . I've been working…