Last time I updated, I told you all that I would find out if the rumor was true. I found out the truth from Curt on December 10, 2003, but he told me not to spread the news yet, since the band wanted to officially tell everyone themselves. Well, as most of you know, they sent out the announcement email today. For those of you who didn't receive it, here is what was said by each band member:
Curt Phillips:
Dear Fans, Friends, and Family,
I just want to thank everyone for the support, loyalty and friendships. I will never forget the experiences and friendships of Rudiger. I learned a lot about the world and myself while playing in this band. In Rudiger I don't think that the time and money that we put in the band was in vein. Toward the ending run of this band I want you to know that my personal motive for Rudiger was for you and not me.
When we started this band I was not a Christian, I was quite the opposite. I lived my life for myself, destroying friendships, my mind and my body. I am thankful for friends like Mike, Adam and Jered for building me up and being there for me. I am thankful for the lessons and experiences that God has shown me through this band. Through this experience God has shown me that through Jesus Christ he can change anyone's heart and motives, because no matter how many times I stabbed him in the back, he still loved me and carried me to safety. Just knowing that that is the Truth just makes me want to honor him in every breathe. Even though Rudiger has been broken up for about two months now, I am happy to say that I am more closer to Jesus Christ than I have ever been.
I apologize for the lack of update on this situation. I wish Jered, Mike, and Adam the best of luck, and we are all still in contact with each other. And thank you to the fans for going to our shows, buying our CD's, T-shirts and helping us out by passing out fliers. Thank you for singing along and hanging out with us. Thank you Mom, Dad and Todd for being such huge supporters and always understanding. Thank you Dan and Judy Richards for your support. Thank you John and Penny, Renee and Linda, and thank you Sarah and Eddie Caballero. Thank you to every band that we have ever played with, wish you the best of luck.
Peace Curt
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14
Michael Bibeau:
To all the fans, friends, and families of RUDIGER, we Love you! We have been blessed beyond any dream we had when we started this band in my garage 6 years ago. God has blessed me personally by fulfilling every desire of my heart, and blessing me with people and circumstances I didn't even know I needed. When we were 16 years old all four of us tragically lost our best friend Drew Richards. Drew is the one who convinced me to start playing drums. At first it was just him and I banging away in my garage. Losing him was like losing a part of myself. For a while I questioned God and was very confused about the purpose of life and my existence. God repeatedly showed me that this life is not about this life. It is about the eternity that lies ahead. After Drew passed I was set out to continue what we had started and pursue music. It was my way of healing through a very emotional and confusing time which I don't think I will ever truly understand. "No Black Clouds" is our tribute to his life and his family. It will remain one of my favorite songs of all time. I feel truly blessed to have shared numerous stages, recording studios, and nights in hotel rooms with Jered, Curt, and Adam. They are three of the most solid guys I have ever met. However there are times in life when things change and life takes you in a new direction. That is what has happened with RUDIGER, our lives have changed. I love these guys so much and my love for them will only continue to grow and develop. Thank you to everyone who has provided for us and helped along the way. We have been blessed so much.
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9
-Michael Bibeau
Adam Marino:
First I would just like to say Thank you to anyone who helped support our band in any way. We were truly blessed to have done the things that we did. I guess some things just weren't meant to be. As I and the rest of the band embark on the journeys ahead of us I can say a couple of things. To anyone who ever feels lost, try you're best to keep you're head up. Don't let this world bring you down, that is what it's best at. This passage is awesome it reflects a message of hope through difficult times. " And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance,,perseverance,character,and charcter,hope. And hope does not dissapoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." I appologize for all of us for letting this go for so long. All the fans deserved to know what was going on and I am sorry. Seriously follow you're hearts and don't get caught up in the madness and lies of this world. Do you're best to spread Love to whoever you meet. That is one of the main things lacking in society today. Try to live for someone else besides yourself. Thanks again to anyone who ever supported our band.
Peace and God Bless
Jered Caballero:
Hey Everyone,
Sorry about the super-bummer news. I realize that the fans and close loved ones and acquaintances to any band are, and should be, a vital part of the lifeline of that band. I just want everyone to know how truly thankful I am for every single family member, friend, fan, band, or other acquaintance that we have been blessed to know and have on our support team throughout this journey as a band. I believe that even though this journey has come to a close, our more important journey of life has been renewed and is at a new doorstep.
Some of you might have come to know that I have faith in God and in Jesus Christ. I am a born-again Christian. And, while I have been able to share my beliefs through the parallels of my faith and my life's experiences in song lyrics, I have realized that I have fallen short in actually LIVING out my faith like I should. I realize now that I was becoming less and less in love with God and His plans for my life and how I could help people, and more and more overly consumed with the things that I could acquire for myself - success, money, status, bigger shows, more fans, more success than the next band, more success than the next person. I want to work hard and diligently at everything God puts me in, but I see now that I was losing sight of the main motives - serving God and others. I've realized that our society teaches us to acquire as much as we can for ourselves, and find as much pleasure as possible for ourselves and even for our loved ones, and that we will have real happiness and lasting satisfaction. But what happens when we do acquire all of that, and we still feel empty inside, and searching for something more? We know that once we die it's all over. All that work and fun and status and money and everything else that we worked so hard to get is all gone. And at that point, what do we have to take with us to the grave? "..What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 4:14.
As I get older, I am realizing how fast time flies, and what happens once our life vanishes? This is the question that everyone has asked or will ask at some point in their lives. I believe that I have been given the answer. The answer to this question and all other questions of life are in the word of God, the Bible. I believe that all of us will die, and all of us will meet our maker, and we will live forever, for eternity - either with our loving God in paradise, or apart from him in torment forever. It's our choice. I believe that God made one way for us to be with him in that paradise forever. I believe that this one and only way is simply believing in Jesus Christ, the son of God, who God the father sent to the earth to live a perfect life that no one else has lived or ever will live. Jesus Christ, who God sent to die as a sacrifice for every single one of our lives - our lives that we live for ourselves in sin, whether it's stealing or killing, or even just telling a little lie here and there, or pursuing more and more success and money in excess for our selfish gain. I believe that sin comes in all shapes and forms, and that everyone is guilty of it, especially me. And when we die, I believe we are all going to have to answer to our creator for the lives we lived here on earth. The price for what we did will have to be paid. But I believe that the full price of our sinful lives was already paid when Jesus Christ died as our sacrifice - "For the wages (the price) of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23.
I believe this and I believe in Jesus Christ. I have believed in Jesus since I was very young, but I see now that I was taking this awesome and amazing gift from God for granted. I was losing sight of the truly important things that should matter most in my life, first and foremost, God. I don't want to be that way anymore. I don't want to take for granted this gift that God sacrificed for me anymore. I am so thankful, and I want to get closer and closer to God and allow him to change my life on a daily basis, so that I can truly make a difference in this world for Him, not for myself and for the passing things that I can't take with me to eternity. I want God to use my life and my gifts for whatever and however He wants, even if it is through music again one day, as a way of saying thanks for what He did for me. God is so amazing and truly satisfying.
On a side note, I highly recommend everyone to see an upcoming movie coming out next month in February '04 entitled "The Passion of the Christ". I believe this movie will show an excellent account of the love and sacrifice of God that I have spoken of and believe in, and that hopefully everyone might believe one day as well.
So, thank you so much again to everyone who has been a part of our band's journey, and a part of our growth as people. My e-mail address is JeredRudiger@hotmail.com if anyone wants to keep in touch. I'm truly blessed by God to have had this experience, and I'm eager to see where He will take me next. Whether it's to the ends of the earth, or just in my own home, I know He loves me the same, and I know He loves all of us wherever we're at, and that's really all that matters.
thanks again in love,
Jered Caballero
