September 2006 - Posts
I told you I wanted to be on a beach somewhere...I also wish I could write like that.
http://thistlelane.spaces.live.com/
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Despite fighting computers and projectors during our men's retreat, it came out pretty good on the whole. After leading three services and crashing Sunday afternoon, I managed to finish a song and get far along on a couple of others. I also finished a radio jingle edit. I'm taking the afternoon off though! I wish there was a beach in Missouri.
Jubi's girl birthday party was a roaring success while I was at the retreat...beyond her expectations (which were pretty high). They did crafts and played on the zip line I made for her last year. A couple of months ago It wasn't working very well so I lubricated the pully. When Jubi tested it out for me she went a little too fast and took a tumble...oops, bad daddy. I was glad to hear she went on it again and that the others had a blast on it...good daddy.
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Rehearsal are in full swing for Christmas. Last night we worked our way the musical sight-reading the songs. Sight-reading time is where you let it all hang out, bad notes, missed measures and all, including the director. When I was in grade school, I used to dread sight-reading times when my strict German piano teacher would pull out a stack of music I had never seen. The problem was that I was very much an ear player and I tended to rely on that. She would never play anything for me so I wouldn't know how it went. Since that time, I have had an aversion to being “on the spot” like that. So when we get together I try to make it an atmosphere where we have fun and it's OK to put our mess-ups right out there for everyone to enjoy. It's no big deal! No one is going to die.
This year we are doing the Brentwood/Benson musical “Everything Glorious” by Sue Smith, David Moffitt, and Travis Cottrell. Two of my favorite songs in it are “This Is Our God” (Sue gave me a sneak preview of this moving, worshipful song at a writing session a while back) and “Orphans of God” written by Joel Lindsay and Twila Labar. The choir is going to sing at block party this Fall in a depressed neighborhood we are helping to renovate and reach for Christ. That song just fits. “There are no strangers, there are no outcasts, there are no orphans of God” Amazing idea!
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“Thank you, thank you, thank you, mommy. Thank you for teaching to me to read. Thank you, it is so much fun. When you finish teaching me to read you can retire. I can read all the Narnia I want now. I'm sorry I was such a fusshead when you were trying to teach me before.” - Spoken to my wife by our 6 year old today, who has caught the bug of all my other children- literature. “Somedays are worth it all” - Spoken to me a few minutes ago by my homeschooling wife.
...now for the math.
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Sorry, I haven't been very consistant in blogging recently.
I was chided by one of our church leaders who reads them.
I'm up to my ears right now so this might be a little disjointed. Here goes...
I have decided to use Tom Jackson's wonderful DVD's on artist development for my worship teams.
I am very interested in applying his principles of communication, particularly for reaching out to a large audience, since we are moving to a larger auditorium next year.
I just finished and tracked a children's theme song for a cool video project that Brian and Brad Sitton are working on. Brad does Video for the Passion Conferences (Tomlin/Crowder). www.blisterstudio.com . I had lunch last week with Brian who programs the code for the project. We talked over the idea they were targeting. Brian is an amazing, creative person, so full of passion to touch the heart of kids.
I will be leading worship at the Fall Men's Retreat, Sept 22,23 and at the Ozark Christian College Chapel Service, Oct 17.
Finally...my daughter recently wrote an essay about a trait passed down to her from her father's side of the family- namely “mischief.“ I close with a favorite quote from my mother. On one occasion she noted the fact that we have a lot of headaches in our family- all except her, that is. She quipped, “I don't get headaches, I just give them to other people.”
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Just got back from Silver Dollar City tonight. After getting drenched on the Water Boggan (I might as well have jumped in the lake) we headed into Branson for Lunch at the Thai Restaurant (excellent, by the way).
We went back to SDC for the evening show. The Crabb Family was singing tonight. The 3,400 seat theater was full (it is wrongly called an amphitheater...a pet peeve of my Greek professor. “Amphi” means the seats are on both sides- in the round, in case you cared). In fact, it was standing room only. It was a great show. I especially loved the instrumental number promised on the next album. The band was having a blast. It was obvious. They ended with “My Redeemer Lives.” I remember Brian Copeland playing that cut for us at Write About Jesus before it's release, asking us if we knew who it was. They have a broad range of styles that make the show interesting. They announced that their last show will be next August as a group. It will be sad for many of their fans but no doubt, wonderful for their growing families.
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