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Knocked my socks off

I just want to go on record as saying that West Ridge has the absolute best band and production team of any church I know of. They tend to slide under the radar when it comes to recognition outside of our walls, but I assure you they are a cut above.

The entire team did a phenomenal job on Sunday. From the “Indiana Jones” opener (from the reviews I’ve seen, hearing our band play the theme song may have been a better use of time than seeing the film) to the richness of the music…from the camera work by David and Dan to the direction by the team upstairs led by Hart…from Chris’s audio mix to Sam’s lighting work…the smooth transitions. Everyone came together using their mad skills like true professionals. It is an honor to work with these people every week. I may be the “producer,” but by the time Sunday roles around the real reason I show up is to watch and be inspired by how these folks let God use them in such a unique way.

Little sidenote to encourage everyone… The Engineering Manager from KCBS in Los Angeles was in town this weekend and was in our second service. He stopped by front of house and told us that we had the best run venue he has seen outside of LA. West Ridge Production team, consider your back patted. We all know that we’re not trying to impress people… But compliments like that tell me that you all succeeded at creating a welcoming environment free from distraction that helped people worship their Creator. THAT is significant.

Happy Memorial Day! Whatcha doing?

Could it be a more perfect Memorial Day in Georgia? Good grief… The temp is perfect. The sun is shining. What an awesome day to sit back and relax while we bask in the freedom that so many men and women have given their lives to protect. Freedom is fragile…and costly.

I’ve cleaned off the back porch and pulled some briars out of the azaleas. Now it’s time to cut the grass. Friends from our journey group will be showing up in a couple of hours to grill some shrimp. Waka waka!

What are you doing to bask in freedom today?

Creative Chaos: Redeeming Tragedy

Carlos over at ragamuffinsoul.com has asked his readers to chime in each Thursday with random examples of creativity in action. We call it “Creative Chaos.”

I’m a little late in the game this week, but I still want to share something that to me represents the highest possible form of creativity…

Jackson PeckWith the news of the tragedy that struck the Chapmans yesterday, I was blindsided by the eerily similar story of my friends Julie and Smith Peck. They lost their 4 year old son, Jackson, on December 23, 2004. While leaving to go caroling with family and friends, Smith’s mom Roz accidentally backed her SUV into her grandson. Jackson lost his life, but his family took the horror of it all and did something very much after God’s own heart… They turned their tragedy into a message of hope and forgiveness.

I first struck up my friendship with the Pecks while on a mission trip with a team from our church. I’ve wept as I edited home videos of Jackson to be shown on television shows. We’ve taken our family to Jackson’s birthday parties that his parents and sisters have thrown every year since they lost him… What I’ve seen is a family who has a deep understanding of the sovereignty of God and a rich knowledge that He doesn’t always rely on sunny days to brighten the world.

The fruit of their courage has been federal legislation that has helped prevent similar accidents from happening to other families. Locally, they lead a ministry called “Grief Share” that gives families dealing with loss a network of support. They have also been given opportunities to share the story of their faith with a national audience. In fact, the story that The Oprah Show ran to tell their story is being re-aired this Friday (May 23), and will feature a letter sent by an Oprah watcher who credits the Peck’s story for saving her own daughter’s life.

Tragedy is often a catalyst for new life. Anything that lives is given the opportunity for life by something else that gives its own life away. I pray for the Chapmans’ son to run full speed into this chapter with courage and hope. It will always hurt, but there IS a redemption. Redemption is simply in God’s nature.

The Jackson Smith Peck Foundationjspfoundation.com

Current Top Search Hit for My Blog

How random. The top search engine phrases that lead people to my blog are: “snl just kidding,” and “snl funny again.” Go figure. I reckon it’s ’cause I posted this a few weeks ago. Still random.

Well, now I’ve gotta say something.

Thanks to Brian’s new blog, MY blog has been been getting some heavier than normal traffic. Sweet!

But now I guess I have to start actually writing stuff worth reading.

This would be a good point for me to remind myself of the reasons I blog…

  1. To think outloud. Sometimes my head just works more clearly if I put my thoughts in writing. It helps me make decisions, and helps me firm up what I believe and what my priorities should be.
  2. To share what I’m learning. Most of what I believe has been shaped by what I’ve read (or what authors have read TO me…gotta love a good audiobook). So maybe some of the ideas I’ve come across that stir me up will get your mind going as well.
  3. To remember. My kids do funny things. My life is an adventure. And I’m going to get old and forgetful. I want to have a place to record and process the good times, the bad times, and everything in between. That way when I’m an old man and can’t remember what I had for breakfast, I’ll at least be able to recall the moments that shaped me.
  4. To teach. I’m not a teacher by trade, but teaching is one of my spiritual gifts and callings in life. Right now, my expertise is in the area of service programming, design, and a few other oddball things. So while I’m wearing that hat, I figure I’ll pass along some trade secrets that help me and my team pull off what we pull off.

That being said, I’d still love to hear what makes you want to read more. Yes, it’s my blog and I can do what I want with it. But I sure as heck don’t want to be writing a bunch of stuff that no one’s going to read. Wasting time doesn’t fit well with my life goals.

New blogging pals!

Two of my dear friends (one is my boss, one is a coworker) have jumped on the blog-train… Check them out!

Brian Bloye – brianbloye.com – Lead Pastor at West Ridge

Tim Grandstaff – thetogetherway.com – Genesis Pastor at West Ridge

Mucho Chaos

The last 8 days in a nutshell… This is long and high drama. Sorry… But it might make you feel better about YOUR week.

Saturday:

  • Kenni throws a humiliating fit as we leave a birthday party. (was that voicemail from DFACS?)
  • At mother’s day dinner, Caia screams like a pterodactyl every 9 seconds. Happy Mother’s Day, my love!

Sunday:

  • Would be 45 minute drive to visit the grandmoms takes 2 hours. Caia screams the entire way…literally. [Teething]
  • Kenni tells Annette what we got her for mother’s day…before we give it to her.

Monday:

  • Emergency gas leak inspection at home. Gas company won’t even let us answer our phone in the house. Nice. (I won’t tell you how long we’d been smelling the gas.) Continue Reading…

The drive in

photo.jpg

Singer has pink eye. Stage manager blacked out while getting ready. Guess that means God’s going to make it a beautiful morning.

Twitter: The New Tupperware?

I’m starting to think I’m going to have to coerce the people who work with me and for me, and some of my friends to come to a big, fancy dinner. At that dinner, I will do my best to convince them that Twitter is cool and that they just MUST get on the bandwagon.

Don’t get me wrong… I love following folks who are interesting (like @loswhit [of ragamuffinsoul.com fame), or long lost friends who are tweeting (like @TimAMay). But when it comes to the folks I see regularly, they’re still not getting it. They say they’re too busy.

So I’ll invite them to a big party, get them locked inside the house, and set up a few computer kiosks. No one leaves ’til they’re twittering constantly.

Dr. Phil made me sad

So a friend sent me this Facebook Quiz called the “Dr. Phil Personality Quiz.” Have you taken it? I took the quiz, and this was the result…

Others see you as someone they should “handle with care.” You’re seen as vain, self-centered, and extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you. However, they don’t always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

If Dr. Phil is right, I’m sorry. I tend to think of myself as fairly insecure and poorly adjusted in social situations. So I guess I can come across this way to some folks.

I’m going to go sulk.

UPDATE! Annette just took the test, too, and she got the same result. I know my wife, and anyone who sees her as “extremely dominent” doesn’t know my wife.

I feel better now.

If you’ve taken it, what did it say about you? I’ll crack up if it gives everyone the same result.

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