Chris Burkmenn's Blog

To get places you must have transportation in order to arrive at your destination. You can travel by car, train, plane, boat, bike, and etc... Some of the vehicles can get you where you are going a little faster, but they all have the ability to get you there. Transportation can occasionally allow you to get where you are going a little quicker than walking/running. When most of us want to get somewhere we usually think of the fastest way possible. Whether it be taking a short cut driving, flying a plane, or even a helicopter. Why is that? It's because we want to arrive as fast as possible, and we usually are in a hurry. Rushing just as quick as we can. Resenting any obstacle in our path along the way. Throwing our hands up in the air when we are cut off driving on the road. Because it set us back from getting to where we are ultimately are trying to get. Those things often serve as a distraction. Taking our attention off of the destination and onto the tiny situation that is...

Ever since I was a young boy I have been a big dreamer. Always believing that nothing could stop me. That there was not a goal to big. Nothing that could not be reached. Starting when I first saw the show on Nickelodean, Kenan and Kel. I believed that I could be an actor. And I knew that one day I would be on that show. Several of you know, that I used to pretend I was Carson Daly hosting TRL in the mirror when I was a kid. To be honest, Sometimes I still do. My dreams have always been so much bigger than myself, and at the time I thought I alone could reach them. Until one day I gave the Lord everything that I had. Every desire, goal, ambition, and my whole heart. Making Jesus my Lord and savior. He has taught me so much through my walk, teaching me patience and trust. Many other things he has taught me, and without him I wouldn't be anywhere near these goals. He is my all, he is my everything. He is the reason that I get up in the morning. If it had not been for Jesus ...

When you think of a story, the first thing you think of is a book. When you think of books, you may think of some of the greatest stories ever told. The Bible, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, Night, The Book Thief, and The Hunger Games. The one thing about these books, they all have stories to tell. They are filled with adventure, Love, Set back, Set up, Tragedies, Death, and Pain. The stories in these books are all worth telling. From the beginning to end they paint the picture of what the author is trying to convey. Stories can also be found in songs, and some of the greatest story tellers ever are songwriters. Our generation has been blessed with epic songs that will go on to be timeless. Taylor Swift, love her or hate her, has been blessed with the extraordinary talent of making you a part of the story. Her songs can make you smile, make you angry, and possibly even make you cry. Other greats Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, James Taylor, and C...

In life things will come against you, and the results will not always be what you hoped for. Being rejected for a role, Losing a job, a Car repair, or failing a class. These are just a few of the examples that life tends to throw us. Many times it's hard to accept. How do I proceed? How did I end up here? I am good person, how could God let this happen? So many questions with very few answers. It can be discouraging when all we see is what before us. The obstacles of life, and we often overlook the promises God has spoken over our lives. I can forget that God has told me so often in the Bible. One of my favorites is Psalm 23: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff t...

As an actor and a person, one of the hardest things to do is move on. Moving forward has always been a challenge of mine because I don't always adapt well to change. I think that I love change, but then when it gets here I do everything I can to avoid it. I have talked about this in past posts, but a reminder never hurts. That being said, this week I am moving into a new apartment. A new apartment with a new roommate. I have been packing boxes this evening and going through things that bring a smile to my face from the past. It amazing the things that you accumulate from different seasons in your life. It's even hard to decide what to keep and what to get rid of, especially when you are moving. In my current apartment I never really quite settled. I was never quite comfortable so there were a lot things that I never took out of the boxes. Since moving to Nashville, I have moved 8 times in about 4 years. I am quite ready to not have to move again for a little while. My ...

As I look behind with 26 years behind me and 9,497 days that have passed by. Today is a day that I reflect on the many things that I have in my life, and passed circumstances. This is my life as I have lived it. A view from the journey. My life has been a great ride, and it has been a difficult ride at the same time. I have learned so many valuable life lessons along the way. Live every minute as it was the last one that you have. No one can ever stop you, only you can stop yourself. If it's worth it chase it. Work was not made for the faint at heart. Every time you get knocked down you get back up. When going gets tough the tough get going. When life gets tough remember you are tougher. My life has been a chase, the chasing of my dreams. When I was a young boy I had dreams placed on my heart and I have been going after them ever since. When I turned 21 years old I was able to move to Nashville in the beginning of my ventures. My past has prepared me for this time....

A wise man once said, Martin Luther King Jr. Reading this quote, it helps me quite a bit. When I visualize what is being said, I feel it was reminiscent of what Jesus told us. Love your neighbor as I have loved you. John 13:34 In a world where there seems to be not enough love at times. Where hatred fills the media painting a picture that makes it seem as though all hope is lost. As though we are on a deserted island away from Jesus. When we think about it, we should never feel as though all hope is gone because we are the hope. Jesus did not say that love cannot exist without him on the Earth, He said love your neighbor as I have loved you. Which means that we must live by the example that he set forth. To be the love of the world  through Him. This quote speaks to me so much because at times I can feel as though injustice can over take me or that someone is being rude to me for no reason at all. My first instinct is to throw rudeness right back at them(lets be hones...

I am very pleased and excited to share this news with you all!! It is official I will be having a brand new design shortly! Keep checking back!

Well it has been over a week since I last was able to gather my thoughts and put them together to produce something for you all to read. I needed sometime to just focus on the task at hand. #EncouragementWednesday is one of my favorite things to write for you all! It challenges me and makes me find encouragement for myself. It causes me to do some searching in who I am in order to give you the encouragement that you need.  So it can help you face your day. I am writing to you as a testimony of God's faithfulness today. As some of you may remember in May of this year, I left my full time job in order to pursue some new ventures in my life. Taking a step like that didn't hit me until my last day on the job. I had the "This is real life" moment. Especially as I walked out of those doors. After leaving, I began serving full time at Logan's Roadhouse in Cool Springs. It challenges me so much that you probably wouldn't believe it unless you came and worked ...

Life has gotten pretty crazy busy. I will be taking the next few weeks off. I am excited to return!! Thank you for your understanding!!  “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” -Mark 6:31

So excited to bring you another of my favorites that inspires me every time I hear the song. Today's #MusicMonday is a bit of a throw back, not all the to 80s or anything. Today I chose to feature Parachute's Something to Believe in from 2011. This song has a great beat and an amazing chorus. The songs is about a girl that he is in love with and she is Something to Believe in. I do not know the artists faith, but truly that is no the point of my blog. It is to bring positive music that can help encourage those that are around us. My faith is everything that I am, but to reach the world we music find beauty in all things.  I hope that you enjoy this track as much as I do. I hope that you find it worthy to be featured on this #MusicMonday.  My favorite part of the song is the end when a big choir sings the chorus with the band. It is everything you would imagine it would be. The song gives amazing imagery as if you are in a barren desert with no water and having lost hop...

It's amazing to think that the problems of the world effect us so much. We often cannot see anything past our current situation. It sometimes it can take over every good thing that we have. No matter what we have we focus more on what we lack. Today I want to encourage you that God says you are capable and that he has placed you where you are. So when the enemy says to you about your weakness. God says that we are powerful truth in Ephesians 1 and so many other places in the Bible. Say to the enemy "my father thinks I am amazing, my father loves me." The enemy may say: Do you really think you're capable of fulfilling what God has call you to do? "My Father says I am. I don't know how I'm going to do it but the power if the Resurrection is in me. I don't feel capable. But my Father says I am." Do you really think you're going to make it through this trail? "My Father says I am." God has great plans for you, It...

Today in a world where superman does not exist, except in movies. Where hard work gets you everywhere and laziness get you no where.  Today's hero many of you do not know. You may never even have heard his name until now. But the impact his has made on my life goes far beyond anyone that I have ever met. The hero for Heroic Thursday is my father, Michael Menn. Why you ask is he my hero, for obvious reasons of He is my dad, or he gave life to me. Those are both very obvious for him to be my hero. However; I honor him as a hero because he is one of the hardest workers I have ever met in my life. He works all day everyday doing so much in the world around him. He is an active member of Faith Family church in Shiloh, IL. He has about 12 jobs working more than 80 hours a week. Contributing to the community around him for the good of everyone in it. He has always had a special connection the elderly in the community, and he serves several in his area. As a child he always pushed ...

I have recently started working more seriously with Audience Company Nashville.(Aud Co Nashville) It is a true honor to be a part of such an amazing team! They have welcomed me with open arms. This company is amazing because we get normal everyday people to be in front of the camera for fun events in Nashville. We have done castings for several major networks. We are currently reguarly recruting for CMT's Hot 20 countdown with Cody Alan, Alecia Davis, and Katie Cook. It is an exciting opportunity filled with surprises. You never know which stars are going to pop in. We are gearing up for the 2013 CMT Awards. If you would like to attend the awards please refer to www.audconashville.com because all of your questions will be answered there. If you are looking for something fun in Nashville to do I would say most definitely check us out! We have many fun opportunities coming up and it is such a amazing thing to be involved in. Our teams consists of Brandon, Misty, Tiffany, mys...

My favorite day! Music Monday is back and I am so excited to bring you one of my favorite tracks of the year. Lately my life has become this journey, where I am searching for myself and chasing my dreams. Yearning for more than just the normal life that some settle for. Through this time I have found songs that bring me much encouragement for the road ahead. So it is a pure treat for me to bring you this song!! "I Lived" by OneRepublic, the song has enough power in it for you to chase whatever passion you have in life. It's sending us a charge, to live everyday to it's fullest. Never settling for the status quo but rising to the challenge of living a life worth feeling accomplished with. Ryan Tedder is no stranger to writing quality songs, after penning such tracks in the past for powerhouses: "Bleeding Love,"(Leona Lewis) Rumor Has it,"(Adele) and "Already Gone."(Kelly Clarkson.) Tedder delivers another song that will receive just as ...