Last night was our annual Parade of Bible characters. (Loved the ideas, Alan). Maddie and Ella had decided long ago what they wanted to be. I normally get to serve as MC for the night and give the clues to the church. Unfortunately, last night I was ill and decided not to breathe on every single Otter Creek child. (I feel like death today)

Here are some pics of our kids from last night...


Maddie as Pharoh's daughter, Sam as Moses and Ella as his mother



Maddie, Ella and Sam give their clues.

Have a great night, blog world!

The last couple of days have been eventful. Sydney Williamson had her birthday party at Sweet and Sassy. Maddie was so excited to get to go and dress up and do girly things. They were all so cute!

Last night we went to open house at Otter Creek pre-school. Maddie and Ella loved getting to show us their classrooms and art work.

Here are some pics from both events...


Princess Maddie


Open house at school...Maddie and her teacher, Miss Laura. We have known Laura and her family for a long time (she has a Madeline too!). We were so excited that Maddie was placed in her class.


Ella and her teacher, Miss Anna. Ella loves Miss Anna and we do too!


Maddie and one of her best buddies, Ryan. (I absolutely love this picture)

More pics tomorrow of our annual Parade of Bible Characters at Otter Creek tonight.

Have you seen the new ads for this upcoming television series called "Day Break"? It stars Taye Diggs and the general premise is that he keeps waking up in the same day and has to re-live it over and over and over. The catch is, it's also the "worst day of his life". (I think his wife/girlfriend dies or something.)

I remember the Bill Murray movie, "Groundhog Day". It was cute and sometimes funny, but the idea annoyed me. For me it's one of those unlikely circumstances that after about 15 minutes of watching completely unnerved me.

"Day Break" hasn't debuted yet. At least I don't think it has. However, I don't think I'll be one of those watching. Maybe it's just me, but that has to be one of the worst thoughts ever...re-living your worst day over and over and over. Praise God...PRAISE GOD that we don't live in that reality. While there are those who wake up every morning to find themselves facing the same hurts, the same disappointments, the same struggles...we also know that each new day brings new mercies from the Lord and each new experience teaches us something about the character or our Father. I am so very thankful for that.

Lamentations 3:22-26
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail! They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

Yesterday we did something we've been meaning to do for several years. We went down to Franklin and visited the amazing Gentry Farm. Lots of corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hay rides, and other fun fall things. We had such a blast and we are all dusty and tired. Here are some pictures from the day...


The kids at Gentry Farm.


The kids sit in the pumpkin tent after selecting their big future jack-o-lantern.


The girls in front of one of the barns.



Ella on the tractor


The Thomas family at Gentry Farm

Have a wonderful day of worship, everyone!

We had a blast with Fish. It was so awesome to see him and see him interact with our kids who haven't seen him in a while. They were so thrilled to get their new Mr. Fisher t-shirts! For me personally, it was a wonderful encouragement to be with Craig. I'm so grateful for those guys and the long, long friendship we share. Friday we met Corey Patterson for lunch and had fun there too. I'll post a pic later when Fish sends me one.


Friday also marked a big day for Ella who got her first "big girl" hair cut. She looks so adorable!


The girls had Sydney Williamson (Ryan and Sarah's daughter) over after school. They had a great time and were very beautiful ballerinas!

Here's a little treat for ya...one of my good buddies, Rob Thomas, has a company called Igniter Video. If you haven't seen any of his stuff, you are missing out. There are lots of very wonderful and worshipful pieces to use in your churches. This particular one is a comedic sketch. I remember directing Rob and Jason McArthur as Sing Song Hosts at ACU 11 years ago and always being hoarse from laughing. They are still two of my favorite people to laugh with. Enjoy...

Everyone at our house is excited...FISH comes in today!! Craig Fisher and I have been friends for a long long time. He was one of the very first people I met at registration the summer before my Freshman year at ACU. We ended up living in the same house for part of college (with Stephen Bailey and Chris Doggett). Along with Stephen and Chris, Craig has remained a best friend and brother to me ever since. He arrives today and the girls are so excited to see him. They wear their "Mr. Craig" t-shirts a lot. They have Craig's big mug on them and are for his book club. We're gonna have a blast!

Yesterday was one of those days. Ugh. More...MORE car stuff. Between car and medical stuff lately, I have been going nuts.

What put a big smile on my face last night, however, was talking with the girls after their light went out. Sometimes those are the best conversations...it's the giggles when you know you're supposed to be quiet. It's the soft "I love you, Daddy" whispers. It's Ella asking me to eat her arm "like corn". (She means playing the corn on the cob game where I spread pretend butter on her arm, salt and pepper it and then dramatically take a big bite!) It's watching Maddie be a little mini-me wanting me to scratch her back, her arm, her leg, etc...just like I did with my dad. Oh, how I treasure these days! I am a wealthy man in those terms!!

The last couple of days have proved to be interesting as people have debated political and spiritual ideas in the blog world. Hopefully, there's grace and understanding for those who don't see eye to eye on every issue. I mean...seriously, can you think of anyone anywhere who sees things exactly the same way you do? Isn't that the beauty of community and fellowship with each other?

Having said that, I'm going to call on that grace as I have to vent for a moment here. Tennessee politics has been such an interesting animal to me. Corruption seems to run amok. It seems like every week someone new is being prosecuted for doing something illegal in office.

As far as I know, neither of these candidates for US Senate are guilty of anything more than making me want to scream. Harold Ford, Jr (dem) and Bob Corker (rep) are duking it out here in Tennessee. Every day brings one more new commercial where one attacks the other. Enough! At this point, I might vote for a Doodlebop over either of them...and you know that's saying a lot for me.

Just when you thought you'd left Junior High and all its back biting and juvenile name calling, the political process brings it back in living color. Boy howdy...just can't wait til the next Presidential election.

Last night was a night we've been excited about for a while now. We were a part of a night of Christian music called "Light the City" at Nashville's new symphony center, the Schermerhorn. It had sold out a couple of weeks ago and there was an incredible energy in the room.


Here's an inside picture of the front of the Schermerhorn. The acoustics are simply amazing. Supposedly, if you're sitting on the very top tier on the back row you can hear the conductor whisper to the symphony.


It was a long day before the actual performance. There was a lot of staging and entrances and exits that had to be figured out. We were there beginning at 1:30 and the performance didn't start until 7pm. We had fun hanging out and laughing though. Here's a picture of Jason and me hanging out back stage.


It was so much fun to a part of such an incredible night. Mandisa (from American Idol), Ashley Cleveland, Buddy Green, Marty Goetz, the symphony...we sat in front with all the artists. Because of the way we stand, JV's seat was next to Mandisa...I kept giving him the evil eye! :) I was jealous!! She was UNBELIEVABLE!! She sang "Shackles" and we got to rock out singing with her. ZOE sang "As the Deer" with the Nashville Choir backing us up and then "How Great is Our God" by ourselves.


Here's a picture of ZOE during intermission backstage. We all had such a blast being together and singing in that amazing place! There was definitely some serious praise going up from downtown Nashville last night. At the end we sang the song that's popular in many African American churches called "Total Praise"...all voices together...Mandisa, Ashley Cleveland, Odessa Settles and her back-up singers, Buddy Green, ZOE, the Nashville Choir, the greater Nashville Gospel Choir and the symphony players. It was a moment of pure joy!

It's been 15 years today since I lost my father. 15 years. So many memories from that day are still very fresh. I remember believing that God would heal my dad and being convinced of it until the very last moment. I remember the disappointment and my first encounter with "a road marked with suffering". I remember how it felt to be standing over him rubbing his feet as he took his last breath. I remember the silence of that room afterwards. I remember this profound realization as a 21 year old that what was left of him was truly a vessel...and yet, it was so very difficult to let go of the physical vessel. The arms that carried me for so many years. The fingers that scratched my back more than a million times. Those big goofy ears. That smile that lit up a room. The laugh that was so contagious. The feet that I desperately tried to put into Cole Haan shoes but usually ended up in velcro sneakers of some sort. The hands that looked just like mine do now. That unmistakable voice and the way he called me "Bran". That incredible sense of humor...

Today kind of snuck up on me. I was caught off guard this morning by my reaction. I knew it was coming this week, but the memories seem fresh today.

One thing that will help...I am about to head out to a video shoot. Operation Andrew, this organization in Middle Tennessee that promotes racial and denominational reconciliation, is doing a special story on my friendship with Victor Wynn at the Temple Church. Vic and I have done lots of stuff together---the Gaylord Arena Nashville worship service, the Ryman Auditorium Thanksgiving thing, we've been in each others' churches and his group has joined us a couple of times for special Christmas concerts here. We're good friends. Thing is...it always makes me feel kind of weird that we have sometimes been the poster children for racial harmony. (This isn't the first time) I mean, we talk usually weekly and when I call him I'm not really thinking...hmmmm, I should call my African American friend from a different denomination. You know? Vic and I are like brothers. It's not hard to be in his world and life. I have more in common with him than I would half of the white guys leading worship in Nashville. It just seems funny and a little sad sometimes that it's such a surprise to people that we're such good friends and that we love combining our ministries. Whatever the case...we're shooting this video today which will be used in marketing, etc and will be shown at the big annual OA banquet. There are well over 100 churches in the area that are a part of Operation Andrew. I hope, in some weird way, that our friendship can bless people.

It would be cool if my dad was here and I could take him over there with me. This seems a great way to celebrate him today.

Sometimes it's the small things in life that bring the most joy...in this case I mean it literally. Though Sam is a small little guy he is growing! He's getting farther and farther away from being little, and at the same time, the joy he brings continues to grow. What a blessing!

All of our kids have been slow walkers. They really loved crawling, so they took their own sweet time with walking. Sam took the longest. He's been holding our fingers and walking for quite a while now. But, thankfully, with the third child we're not quite so hyper-sensitive. We figured he'd walk when he was good and ready. And, yesterday, he was ready. You should see him truck.

Time with Jeff Berry has been good. Life-long friends are such a special blessing. We've seen each other through a lot and always been there to support, champion, or defend each other. We're so thankful for his ministry and his beautiful family.

Speaking of long-time friends...ZOE was back together tonight. We worked on music for the big Schermerhorn event this weekend. We laughed at the same old jokes, we prayed together, sang and left feeling thankful for the history we share together and that God is giving us this really neat opportunity this weekend.

check out the goofy guy sitting atop the chair...one of my life long best buds, Jeff Berry. Now that Jeff is such a rock star, he barely has time for the little people like me. It's a far cry from the good ol' days when we lived in Abilene and dreamed of music while we folded clothes at Jeffory's Village Peddlar! Ha!

Jeff is in town between dates visiting with some folks. He's staying with us tonight. I am really excited about seeing him. It's been a while since we've gotten to actually catch up live instead of over the phone.

This afternoon Ella announced, "Jeff is coming to stay with us tonight!" Maddie replied very knowingly, "It's not just JEFF...it's JEFF BERRY!!!" He will love that.

I'm back in car Hades. My good ol' Blazer...1998...paid for...another $860 today for breaks, rotor, muffler, etc. Enough is enough.

We're getting very excited about the weekend and our performance at the Schermerhorn. As of last week, it's sold out. I can't wait. It's going to be a really awesome night.

One last thing...still floating from the weekend. It's been nice to have a day or two off here to catch my breath. But it's also been good to reflect on conversations, interactions, convictions and other ions from the weekend. It really was one of my favorite years. There was something very real about the whole weekend. I was honestly sad to see it end. Hope all of you who came had safe travels home and are feeling refreshed.

What an amazing weekend we had at the ZOE conference! It was so good to be with such good friends and to experience worship with all those people. It was a very good weekend for me. The Lord really blessed me. More later...here are some pictures from the weekend.


ZOE leading worship


Leading with my bro, Peter.


Jack and Jill Maxwell's 2006 ZOE conference drawing...Jacob's struggle with God

Replica of Jack and Jill Maxwell's new sculpture at ACU entitled, "Jacob's Ladder".

ZOE leading worship


Josh Ross, BST, and Luke Norsworthy at our house Thursday night.


Jonathan Ross, BST, and Josh--our house Th night


Stephen and the kids in our dining room this afternoon

Peter, Lindsey, Sheryl and me in our living room this afternoon. We love Peter and Lindsey. I am performing their wedding ceremony next summer in California.


Stephen and I are hanging out tonight after the conference...laughing and having fun. He wants people to know he's not actually a witch. Not at all.

It's hard to say what was most enjoyable...worshiping with my ZOE family, hearing Sheryl sing "The Power of the Cross", time with my Ross brothers, seeing old friends, worship that lifted me to heaven, time to process and unwind with my best buddy, Stephen...so many blessings!

What day is it? Where am I? Is the conference really here?? These pressing questions and more are taking over my brain.

Actually, had some great time with Dave Durham this morning. God is good in the way He crosses paths. Dave, Gary Pigg and I are all singing in this deal at the Schermerhorn next week. It's been fun to talk about our mutual and dear friend, Kirk Nofsinger. Is Kirk like the Kevin Bacon of the ACU world?

Some very nice person left a card and a sweet gift for Sheryl and me at the office in memory of Sheryl's brother, David. The card was signed, "A Friend". Thank you, "friend", whoever you are!

Even as I write, many are flying or driving in. It's been fun to talk to people as they are boarding planes or driving from Florida, or wherever. I am excited to see lots of old friends. We're praying that God will bring everyone here safely!

Today I was really ministered to by the Word. There are some days (sometimes far between) when the Spirit just hits me hard. Today was one of those. I've been living in Colossians 3 and Romans. Today the passages in Colossians 3, Romans 1:16, and Philippians 2:12b-13 converged into this power smack that knocked me out. I love how God works. I feel really thankful for the way He sustained me today.

Scrambling a bit today..day 3 without Sheryl and with 3 kids who are ready to see her. We've been trying to put the house back together this morning...we got flowers and Maddie is busy making a card. It will be great to have her home.

I am working on the sessions for this weekend. I am leading Friday night, Sat morning and Sat night at the main conference. I am also leading a late night service Friday night in the main hall that will be a lot like our Vespers service on Wednesday nights at Otter Creek. Bobby Colvert is playing guitar, Billy Contreras will be playing fiddle, Philip Henry will sing and play accordian, Amanda Vickers will sing and it should be a cool night. Please pray it all comes together. Scott Owings is helping me pull the stations together. Sat morning I will be teaching the first session of the advanced worship leader track (advanced...weird word, but you get the concept. It's for those who've been doing this a while). David Durham of Crucible International is teaming with me. He'll teach the second two sessions that afternoon. I've admired David for a long, long time. He was very critical to the success of YWAM for years before going on staff at Belmont Church here in Nashville. His ministry is to those in the arts. It's really cool. He will be a blessing to all of us.

I am really excited about having a lot of the ZOE guests with us Sunday too. We meet at 10am for those of you coming from out of town. Sunday school is at 8:45. My mom is teaching a great class on Ecclesiastes with Sandra Collins at OC on Sundays. It's open to any and everyone. Another good choice would be Lee Camp's class. (He wrote Mere Discipleship).

Please pray for me this week. I have a lot left to do and have actually been sick to my stomach and throwing up this morning (nice...it's something I HATE). As always we look forward to seeing you!

Today was a long but good day. This morning was emotional on a lot of different fronts. I had forgotten I had planned "Be Unto Your Name" so it really hit home. Sheryl also left early this morning. We decided that to take the kids would be too much of a stress on her so the best way I could help was to stay and keep them. (Lauren has been a great help today! Thanks Lauren!) I hate the thought of Sheryl driving alone, but last time we talked she was really loving the quiet time.

This afternoon we had more rehearsal for the Schermerhorn event. It went well. This is really going to be one of those memory making moments.

Tonight I sat the girls down to try and explain about their uncle David. They've processed more about death than some kids because of having to figure out where "Poppy" is (my dad). We wanted to wait until Sheryl was gone so that they wouldn't have extra separation anxiety knowing why she was leaving. I think it was the right choice. I talked to them about David's illness and that his body was just hurting and tired. Then I told them that it just quit working and he died. We talked about how it made them feel and the questions they had. Then Maddie said, "We should say a prayer for Mommy and Memaw and Pa-Paw." (So precious to my soul) She stopped and led us in a very sweet prayer. Then after saying amen she reminded us all that fish die before dogs and dogs die before people. Then Ella wanted to clear up who actually flushed Jack the fish down the toilet--"was it you or Mommy???"

There will be more questions I'm sure. Before bed Maddie asked, "Will Mommy be sad when she gets home?" I told her she might be a little sad but really happy to see us. Then we spent the next few minutes thinking up fun treats to have for Mommy when she gets home.

I wanted to talk to them about this because I knew they would hear about it from friends or adults saying they were sorry about Sheryl's brother or something. I didn't want them to wonder. I also didn't go into detail. I figure they'll deal with life and death in bits and pieces...like we all do.

There's a popular worship song that we sing with ZOE called "Be Unto Your Name" by Lynn DeShazo and Gary Sadler (the man). The first verse goes like this...

We are a moment, You are forever
Lord of the ages, God before time
We are a vapor, You are eternal
Love everlasting, reigning on high

Today Sheryl's brother, David, lost his battle with cancer. He died around noon. We got word this afternoon from Sheryl's mom. It's been a hard battle these last couple of months. But, as in all of his life, David did not quit fighting. The doctors said about 6 weeks ago that he wouldn't make it through the week. David fought. We got to see him over Labor Day weekend along with some of Sheryl's other siblings. He looked so tired, so sick, so not himself. Today he is free from cancer.

We are the broken, You are the Healer
Jesus, Redeemer, mighty to save
You are the love song we'll sing forever
Bowing before You, blessing Your name!

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!
Highest praises, honor and glory
Be unto Your name
Be unto Your name
Be unto Your name.

Last night ZOE had rehearsal with The Nashville Choir and Ashley Cleveland for our performance at the new Nashville Symphony center, the Schermerhorn. We're a part of a really cool night coming up on October 15th. ZOE is singing "How Great is Our God" by ourselves, "As the Deer" with the 200 voice Nashville Choir backing us, and leading the entire audience in singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness". There are all kinds of Nashville musicians singing with the choir...folks like Kirk Dearman, Gary Pigg, Mandisa (from American Idol...you know I'm lovin me some Mandisa!) and others. It's been a great experience so far--and challenging!

As I write, Sam has the vacuum hose using it as a trumpet. He sounds hilarious! Maddie and Ella are so cute with him.

It's only supposed to be 68 here today and there are several "harvest festivals" here this weekend. What a great time of year!

Loved the comments yesterday! Thanks for being random with me.

Now, the funniest comments to me were the ones talking about getting dizzy in spin class. I guess the name is sort of confusing. It's not "Sit and Spin" for adults. I would completely barf my lunch up every day if it was...I can't even do the tea cups at Disney without wanting to hurl.

Spin is an awesome aerobic work out. You should all try it. It's 45 minutes of intense biking on a special stationary bike. The bike allows for adjustments to the seat, handle bars, and height. This helps for all the folks who actually race or ride seriously to adjust to make it as close to their own personal bike as possible. There's also a knob that you turn throughout the class making the resistance more or less difficult depending on what the teacher instructs. He or she will take you through sprints, hills, jumps, endurance challenges, and toning exercises. There's loud rockin' music and I never get bored. 45 minutes of great, intense work. It's fun!

OK--one last thing today...this morning when I dropped off Ella her teacher told me something she overheard Tuesday. Apparently, the kids were standing in line waiting to go potty and one of Ella's classmates told her that her father was a pilot of an airplane. Ella chimed in saying, "My daddy knows how to turn on the TV!" Thanks, Ella.

Would you...

1. Buy grapes even if they were more than .99 a lb?

2. Vote for George Clooney for President?

3. Vote for Oprah for President?

4. Go to a U2 concert?

5. Go to a Gaither Homecoming?

6. Buy a new... or used car?

7. If you had to choose, rather lose the ability to hear or see?

8. Try a spin class?

9. Rather eat escargot...or squirrel meat?

10. Rather jump off your house or jump out of a moving car?

Ten random questions for you today...oh, and this blog is dedicated in loving memory to Jack the fish. May he rest in peace (in the sewers in underground Nashville). When Sheryl told Maddie and Ella about Jack, Ella got upset and Maddie just explained to all of us the natural order of things...Fish die first, then snakes (please..let THEM die first), then dogs and THEN people. Just in case you didn't know.

Tuesdays are usually full of meetings for me. It begins at 8:30 and usually goes all day. The one break I usually take is during lunch when I go to my spin class at the Y. Our normal teacher wasn't there today. In place of him was a woman named Deborah. Deborah is like the Tazmanian Devil. She is an ex-military officer and has probably .01% body fat. She likes "fast flats" which means she likes bike sprinting. A lot. I got my tail kicked today by a woman named Deborah.

I was zoning this morning a little during staff meeting thinking about the lists of things that need to happen before this time next week when ZOE stuff will be kicking into high gear. I felt my blood pressure rising and my anxiety levels beginning to bubble over. Then Doug told us about a 20 year old woman he's helping who has 5 kids. She can't read or write and they live in a car when they can't find a place to stay. I immediately snapped out of it. The more I hear about families in crisis like that the more I feel burdened by the things we spend so much time and energy on that are only marginally helpful to those truly hurting. I thought about Larry James today of Central Dallas Ministries and how patient he is in online discussions where people pontificate on social justice (like me) while he's out there in the trenches.

Sometimes it's good to be snapped back into reality. Today 2 women did that for me. One whose name I don't know but whose story moved me. And another named Deborah who showed me how it feels to want to pass out on a bike.

Sam is growing fast! Sheryl snapped this over the weekend. Like the furry slipper on his hand? (Thanks Howells!!)


Here's a pic of my buddy, Nate, and me taken last week. Nathan used to (and still does sometimes) sing with ZOE.

Ella and I had a "Daddy date" today. She wanted to go play on the playground inside Cool Springs Mall. One of the other younger girls had an unfortunate accident all over the plastic boat. Ella was so kind with her and helped her. (and I watched in pity thinking...I know exactly how that feels!!) :)

I hope your weekend was great. The weather here was wonderful. Yesterday we borrowed some friends' power washer and went to work on the outside of our house and fence. Wow...love the power washer!!!

Last night...Jeanne Sandella brought a delicious meal over with John and the kids. We enjoyed our time together and the meal was incredible! Thanks, guys!

This morning we talked about covenant. It was a great morning and very encouraging personally. It was also wonderful to have my mom back and sitting on the front row! We had an emotional send off for TJ and Holly at the end of service. They are back from language school and off to the Dominican to begin their work there.

This afternoon we had a rehearsal for the Schermerhorn Symphony Center concert in 2 weeks. I am so excited that we get to be a part of that. There are some tickets left but they are the $50 and up tickets. Let me know if you're interested.

Life group tonight was really wonderful...we had a great time of worship and shared communion together. I continue to be so thankful for our life group family.

It's not supposed to be above the mid 70s here this week. Wooo-hooo! Have a great Monday everyone!

First things first...
We had dinner at Phillip and Mary Alice Duncan's house last night. Mary Alice is the queen of lasagna. WOW! I think I had 5 helpings. How humiliating! And then we had this awesome Oreo pie (at first I thought she said Oriental pie, then I heard burrito pie...both of which were scaring me a bit.) The Oreo pie was also out of this world! Mary Alice, you ROCK!!! Such sweet friends!

I pulled into work this morning and there were hundreds of people in the parking lot. Apparently it's Brentwood High School's homecoming and the parade begins from our parking lot. There were floats, cheerleaders, the band, cars with homecoming queen nominees, etc. It reminded me of the ACU homecoming parade.

We LOVE getting to go back for ACU homecoming. The parade is always AWESOME! The floats are always so cool! The kids always love watching. I'm sad that we won't be there this year. But...next year is a reunion year for me so I will be there.

I remember Gamma Sig Homecoming breakfasts at ACU. Having to wake up at 3:30 or 4:00 am as a pledge to get things ready. Having to wake up at 5:30 as a member and even now to attend. (I promised myself I wouldn't go back...if I want to throw biscuits at someone I can do that at home. For free.) I noticed in the ACU Homecoming program that the Knights are having a reunion meal at 10:30am or something. Now THAT'S what I'm talkin about. Maybe if the time changed I'd reconsider going. Gamma Sigs...maybe next year?

It made me think about homecoming stuff from high school too. Mums...such a bizarre Texas thing. I remember girls wearing mums that basically took over their bodies like a giant spider. Mums with cow bells, mums with gold footballs hanging, mums with teddy bears, mums with cheerleader dolls, mums with megaphones, mums with just about anything you can imagine. I think some of them had to actually be strapped on or they'd have ripped the shirt they were pinned to. Then...the guys started. Garters. Garters with footballs, garters with numerous other symbols.

It also reminded me of Junior High (which is what it was back in my day...not "middle school"). Remember paying 50 cents for a "ribbon"? They had the slogan of the week and the colors. I still have some.

All that to say, fall is certainly here. It brings a nice spell of cool weather (it was in the lower 50's here last night). It also brings nice fall colors and lots of memories. Hope you enjoy your weekend. Friday night football, anyone?

Eric Wyse and I are working on a hymns project for Family Christian Bookstores. (Some of them with the Prague Symphony...absolutely breathtaking.) It's 150 of America's top hymns...6 CDs worth plus a book of hymn stories. CRAZY! Do you have any idea how many that really is? Sheryl and I were going through some masters last night and working on the project. 150. I kept thinking...wow, we've got a lot here and would count them up--90 or so. 150. Yep. What are your favorite hymns? I'll bet they're on there.

Here are just a few of mine...
--O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
--This is My Father's World (my dad's favorite)
--Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
--Beneath the Cross of Jesus
--O Sacred Head
--Father of Mercies
--Father and Friend, Thy Light Thy Love

ZOE rehearsal went well last night. We're getting ready for the conference. Please be in prayer for Philip and Amy Organ. (Philip sang bass on the recording this year and will be singing at the conference.) Amy's mom has cancer and it's not good. Please pray for healing and peace for that family.

In the news...

Mike summed up some world events brilliantly by saying... "Several fundamentalist Muslims, angered by the Pope's statements that some parts of Islam are violent, have responded in violent retaliation. Thankfully, many moderates of their faith are pointing out the tiny inconsistency in their objections."

This whole thing is so bizarre to me.

In family news, my mom is still in Abilene. Maddie got to talk to her on the phone this morning. The kids are missing her a lot. Sam is really trying to start walking. He is basically willing himself not to at this point. Sheryl and I are getting geared up for the ZOE weekend coming up in a couple of weeks. We're looking forward to seeing you all.

This year we will take the conference on the road to the West Coast as always but we're adding Lubbock, TX in March and Orlando, FL in June. We hope to see all of you in one of those spots!

I appreciated Pegc's comment yesterday and thought I'd just take it online for some discussion from all of us.

She asked... "What do you believe causes one to be able to "worship" and get the "feelings" you are describing? It seems that sometimes music does it, but even according to you, not all the time. So what do you think is the "secret" to drawing one into worship?"

I would begin by saying that nothing can draw us into worship except the Holy Spirit and a willing heart to go there.

Having said that, there are certain things that are important for the worshipper to bring...an open heart, yes, but also a sense of expectation. Sometimes we don't feel like entering in. There is a biblical notion of bringing the sacrifice of praise. David said it. Instead of burnt offerings...He desires our heart. So, even when I don't feel like it (write that ten times and see how ridiculous you feel), God still deserves it, so we offer a sacrifice of praise!

Now, all that aside, there are certain things that help me more than others. Typically, it's the leading that either helps or hinders. Sometimes the happy-clappy, foot stompy types of things are great--when, WHEN, there's a clear object of that excitement--being God and not the person leading worship. Sometimes the mellow, contemplative style does it for me...again, when the leader(s) are helping me see God's face by continually pointing to him.

Obviously, part of it is personality. But, I firmly believe that we can and should be able to worship no matter what the circumstance because God is certainly worthy. We all have things that speak to us a little more deeply. I think for me Sunday night it was a mixture. Taye added some older hymns to the collection and would go back and forth between those and the new ones. He also seemed to really be sensitive to where the Spirit was leading and a couple of times we just parked on a chorus for a few minutes to let it sink in. Honestly, that was the trigger point for me that night. Not just blowing through them, but taking the time to really connect with the lyric. Taking the time to really let it sink into my heart.

Ultimately, the "secret" is the Holy Spirit and our own individual decision to allow him to move in our hearts during worship. Deciding to "go there" if you will. Sometimes it's as easy as that. But I certainly do appreciate leaders who have a shepherding heart in worship--who see the goal and help the church get there--realizing that true worship isn't about the volume, the use or non use of an instrument, the coolness factor of the songs, or anything else besides encouraging the heart to recognize the majesty of Jesus and bow before Him.

Thanks for asking Peg! I'm not always the best at doing the things I've written about here, but since worship is one of my favorite things, I love to talk about it from a worshipper's perspective. Thanks for giving me the open door!

OK--now you guys--what are some things that help you in worship?

In a year or more, I haven't had a worship experience like I had last night. The guys from Sanctuary (the college worship time on Th nights) led our monthly worship night called Celebration. There's just a difference with them. It wasn't about musicianship, though they were all great musicians. It wasn't about self glorification, though they were all extremely talented. There was just a spirit of worship. Taye, the leader, exudes that spirit, but he's not the only one. All those on stage had that spirit. Sometimes when I hear worship bands lead, it's as if the worship leader is the only one even attempting to lead worship while the players are seem checked out--at best. (True sometimes with praise teams too.)

The night culminated for me in a repeating of a David Crowder chorus, "God Reigns" going right into "How Great is Our God". I wasn't even able to sing the last part of it because I had been so moved. I needed that so much. THANK YOU to all the Sanctuary folks for coming and blessing us so richly. I can't remember the last time I felt so powerfully led into worship!

(R-L) Cole Young, Randy Gill, BST, Ken Young, and Keith Lancaster

Yesterday, thanks to Randy's organization, we had a reunion lunch of some of the Nashville worship guys. We don't see each other nearly enough. I emailed Cole yesterday and asked him to join us too. It had been too long since I'd seen him. It was fun catching up. We talked about our churches, our ministries, our ever-changing families, and our dreams for the future. It was fun to be with those guys and catch up a bit. Ella joined me and sat between Cole and me. I think she might have a new crush.

This morning has been filled with house cleaning, playing ball, and enjoying family. I love the weekend! Meanwhile my mom is having a blast at her 50th high school reunion back in TX. Hearing about it is making me homesick. Howdy to all y'all back in the great STATE! Have a great weekend!

Last night Sheryl and I got to do something really cool. There's a violinist who is pretty popular in other circles (she does stuff at Crystal Cathedral, with Benny Hinn, and plays to 10s of thousands in Europe). She did a worship record with the Prague National Symphony (Eric Wyse is producing). David Thornton, Sheryl and I got to add vocals to the record last night. It was a long night, but amazing. The orchestrations are unreal. Parts of it sounded like John Williams. At one point during Here I Am to Worship, the oboe cried in this beautiful woodwind sound. Hearing songs like that one along with In Christ Alone, All Creatures of Our God and King, Praise to the Lord the Almighty, etc just made my spirit stir. 5 1/2 hours of singing over beautiful symphonic sounds...such a wonderful, wonderful treat!

There's a reason to celebrate today! I found out last night that the Playground CD is doing really well! It's the #2 overall seller in Parable bookstores and #1 as far as recordings. YEA!! Click here to order your copy Online ordering of Playground CD

One last funny today...Vicki Atnip, our good friend and also fellow Otter staff member, told me that she was really into watching LOST this season. She said, and I quote, "It's the first reality TV show I've ever watched!"

Eric Noah-Wilson and I made it back in last night without any trouble. In fact, we had a hilarious flight attendant who laughed with us the entire way back from Florida. Turns out she knew my old buddy and former intern, Jay Duty. She regaled us with tales of near terrorist attacks on flights she's worked...the perfect bookend to a thought provoking couple of days.

Thanks for the great comments yesterday. I hope it was clear that I wasn't drawing conclusions...just asking questions and making some observations, mainly about me. You guys all raised some good questions. My friend, Eric Ebeling, wrote me with some more. I'm so thankful for friendship and community. (And grateful for the steak dinner you're offering me, Eric. Don't think for a minute I'm not taking a raincheck.)

There is a crispness to the air here today. Fall is definitely coming. Maddie and Ella had school pictures, football is in full swing, and every grocery and convenience store has Halloween candy stocked and ready. I even wore a long-sleeved shirt today.

Have a great Wednesday, blog family!

I'm sitting here on a lay-over in Miami blogging at the Admiral's Club and feeling extremely sleeeeepy. Eric Noah Wilson and I are meeting with the folks in Orlando today about the ZOE conference there next summer. We fly back tonight.

So, last night I watched the conclusion of the special dramatization of the 9.11 events and then some news coverage that followed on ABC. Knowing I was hopping on an airplane at 6am the next morning, I needed about 10 Lexapro tablets when it was all said and done. FOR THE LOVE. If the Taliban wanted to create terror, they could have just skipped the bombing and gone straight to Charles Gibson and the 20/20 team. I am not under any misguided notions that we are safe from attack. In fact, I believe it's likely that they are always planning some new attack. But, there was no shortage of sensationalism in their reports last night.

The sad thing is...flying, living post 9.11 causes me to look with different eyes. It makes me more paranoid, more suspicious, more prone to profiling. I hate that.

As I watched last night it occurred to me again what a crazy upside down kingdom we belong to in Jesus. Jesus...the guy who chose not to wage war. Jesus, the guy who asks me to turn my cheek. Jesus, the Son of God who gave His life for us so that we wouldn't have to die. Now that...that is crazy, upside down, hard to comprehend, self-less love. And then he asks us to love our enemies? What could that possibly mean? Surely he didn't mean for us to follow His example. Surely. hmmmm. Really, Lord?

Something else occurred to me last night watching this movie. These men and women (terrorists, Taliban, etc) who become martyrs...they do it out of love for God...love for God and hatred for those who oppose their view. (does that sound like anyone else to you?) There was a line in the movie last night saying, "Christians teach that we should turn the other cheek. We will give our God more love than that. We will wage war for our God."

I realize that this is a very sensitive issue, but doesn't it seem like we sort of live somewhere between those two points of view? We have not fully embraced Jesus in his admonition to love our enemies and turn the other cheek. Neither have we decided to wage a holy war. But our culture certainly seems to be caught in this weird place of picking and choosing as we walk around with WWJD wrist bands. It makes me uncomfortable. I do it too.

The longer I live, the more I realize just how much Jesus is really calling me to. Some days I'm ready, other days I struggle. I'm just so incredibly grateful for his love that is transforming all of us. Thank you, God! You don't leave us like You found us! Please, Lord, continue your healing, transformative power in my heart. I desperately need it.

9/11. I remember exactly when we learned...watching the Today show as Sheryl nursed baby Maddie. It's hard to believe 5 years have passed. My thoughts are with those families today.

We had a great weekend! Saturday night my mom took us to see Big River--one of my all time favorite musicals. It was an awesome production! It brought back lots of memories of my senior year at ACU when I was in Big River. I was remembering all the fun people in that cast--Donjalea, Mark Reeves, Kimberly (Meador) Condor, Jennifer Money and Brad Crisp, Jim Brown, Kyle Dickson, Bethany Brooks, Charlci Conatser, Dawn Swearingin, The Neblit, T. Clark Miller, Jennifer Langford, and so many more! It was a blast! (Sorry for mutilating the spelling of names...I know I did.)

Sunday morning we had some men from our mission in Kenya--Made in the Streets--visiting with us. They led us in communion thoughts. It was a cool morning.

The Glory Bugles were last night. It was a huge success! We had a packed house and collected a lot of money for our inner-city Wayne Reed center. The Bugles were hilarious! It was fun seeing the whole thing in context. A couple of my favorite songs..."Heaven Yes, HELL NO", and "Have You Heard From Peter's Rooster?"

Disney Channel...mornings..the Doodle Bops. Is anyone else frightened by them? It's like going back to my theme park days. But worse. The blue guy gives me nightmares.

just a few more weeks til ZOE!! If you haven't yet, go register! You can also order the new ZOE CD... click here to register... ZOE Conference registration and information

Have you seen Greater Tuna? Love it. Have you seen Waiting for Guffman? Well, if you like those spoofy types of things, you'll LOVE the Glory Bugles. These guys are hilarious...most are professional actors or singers (Bonnie Keen formerly of First Call, Nan Gurley famous Nashville actress--and ACU alum--her husband Wayne and Steve Pipkin, music producer, etc). These 4 ARE the Glory Bugles and they will be doing a show at Otter Creek Sunday night. The Tennessean raves about them, and they have quite a following. Brian Mason spent an hour interviewing them and laughing with them last Sunday morning on his radio show.

Admission is free and there's free nursery care for kids under 2yrs old. Come---come and bring your friends. It will be a blast! According to one Glory Bugle, they put the "FUN" in fundamental. One of my favorite songs they sing says something like this... If the King James version was good enough for John the Baptist, it's good enough for me.

6pm Sunday night September 10 at Otter Creek Church, Nashville, TN. Join us!

OK...as an intro to this posting, I should tell you that Maddie is one of the most pure hearted people I know. Sometimes she doesn't even get potty jokes. So, that makes things she actually says accidentally even funnier.

Maddie loves descriptive words. In the last year she began adding an "er" to the ends of words to make them more descriptive. One day I was choosing her clothes and we were in a hurry. (The girl has an opinion--always. If I'm choosing her clothes what I've learned to do no is give her at least 2 options and if I don't she'll actually say, "Give me some options.") I chose her outfit and told her to get dressed quickly. She was a little cranky that morning and was throwing a little fit. I kept thinking...what's the big deal? Finally, in a tormented cry she said, "YOU'RE SUCH A PICKER!!" (it sounded like "pecker") I about lost my teeth.

I said, "EXCUSE ME??" And she responded, "You're such a PICKER! You ALWAYS like to pick what I wear." Oooooohhh...piiiiicker. Got it. (Didn't like the tone...but got it.)

Then in Chattanooga visiting Paul and Jill, it was Ella's turn to ride in the car with Mack. Maddie was furious (and tired after a long day and little sleep). She cried and I asked her what was wrong. "Ella's such a rider." And, actually, she was right. Ella was a rider.

Last night, Ella was being hilarious. She kept making funny jokes in bed and the girls were laughing at each other. I kept sprinkling pretend salt on Ella's arm and pretending to eat it like corn on the cob. Maddie was just rolling on her bed belly laughing. Then she said..."Ella, you're such a CRACKER!" I about died. Seriously. I wanted to fall on the floor. Ella said in her wee smoky voice, "I'm not a craaackerrr!" Then Maddie said, "You always crack me up! You're a CRACKER!"

So, in case anyone was wondering, in my opinion, both of these girls are crackers. They constantly crack me up. WHAT FUN!

PS: Had an AWESOME breakfast today with Chris Seidman and Grant Boone. Oh my goodness. (Ty..be afraid. Be very afraid.) It was so fun to laugh with those guys and then get to talk serious heart stuff. Old friends are such a treasure.

Several updates...

We made it home safely. PRAISE GOD! We even got to see our friend Lauren last night. The kids were excited to see her and we were too.

We're getting ready to move into our offices after 8 months of living out of boxes. That should be fun. We haven't all been together on the same hall in years. I am looking forward to being closer to everyone.

Regarding the post a couple of days ago about "peace"...one funny I forgot to mention was that the girls apparently decided to use this huge bowl of lemon drops as the communion bread. It seems that they passed it back and forth enough times to actually consume the entire bowl between the two of them. They were very lemony-fresh.

The Playground CD hit shelves on September first. If you don't have a Parable bookstore in your neck of the woods, you can click here to order one (and it's a better deal online anyway). Online ordering of Playground CD

Don't forget to register for ZOE... ZOE Conference registration and information

Tonight we begin Vespers again at OC. Fall is officially here!

Have you registered for the ZOE conference yet? Don't wait! It's not far now...

click here to register... ZOE Conference registration and information

COME! We want to see you!

This morning at Sheryl's parents house Maddie and Ella were playing "church" (worship service). Maddie had her Paw-Paw's guitar and Ella was beating on a stool like a bongo drum. Maddie was making up lyrics and playing the guitar singing, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! We thank you, God!" etc.

Then Maddie led a prayer that went like this, "Thank you God for everything, thank you for our family and for all the animals." At the end of the prayer, Ella announced, "OK everyone, listen up. It's time for 'Peace'." (They call communion "peace". I think it's because we've talked to them about the peace of Christ and also Sheryl has offered them a "little piece" before. So, they've always called it "peace".) Maddie put down the guitar and Ella began to organize the taking of "peace". It was all so fun to watch.

I thought about how cool it would be for them to get to partner in sometihng like that. Maybe one day. I recently heard someone say that women are given their leadership titles and freedoms by men. Seems to me that it's more likely that God instills that in people and that the Holy Spirit guides each of us into the roles God has for us. Hopefully, one day Maddie and Ella will walk in freedom and use all the gifts the Lord has given them to serve the Body.

We made the trek to Arkansas Friday to see Sheryl's brother, David. He's still in really bad shape. Along the way we got to stay in Jackson with our friends Jeff, Melissa, Bailey, and Meg. The girls had a blast with them and we stayed up laughing with Jeff and Melissa.

Once we actually got to Arkansas, we met family. Four of the 8 kids in Sheryl's family are here. It's fun seeing them. Kevin, Billy and Cindy (and Haley and Chelsea) all drove up from the Houston area and we're all here in Cherokee Village, AR. We took up a whole row this morning at church and afterwards had some pretty good catfish.

I am always reminded what a great family Sheryl comes from after being with them. We are blessed to both have a heritage of love to pass on to our children. Hope you're all doing well out there in Blog world. Thanks for your continued prayers for David.

This morning on the way to school Maddie said...

"I wish I could decorate the whole world!"

When I asked her what she meant she said,

"You know, put lots of ribbons in the trees and lights like at Christmas time. I could put big bows on all the cars that drive and everything could be decorated."

What a cool thought. Maybe one day she will. One thing is for sure, she decorates my life every single day.

Quick update...

First, thank you to all who wished me well after my, um, unfortunate "accident" shall we say. Wow.

Second, we told our life group about one of the families we met last Saturday (no fridge, stove, microwave, air conditioning, etc). That NIGHT after life group people kept coming back over delivering stuff. We ended up with a window unit air conditioner, clothes, shoes, bedding, towels, bags and bags of groceries, a toaster oven, a microwave, school supplies, laundry detergent and quarters, etc. It was SO COOL to see people respond...and not just respond at some point, but IMMEDIATELY respond. John Sandella, Travis, Lea Brown, Sheryl and others left for the grocery after group. Amanda and Geof headed home and came back with a huge bin of stuff. It was almost like Christmas!!

Sheryl, Travis and Doug went over yesterday afternoon to install the air conditioner and deliver the other stuff. It was a neat day.

Third, another hilarious moment with Cindy Craig. That girl makes me laugh hard. She was on praise team Sunday morning and was witness to a funny moment. At the end of services I stood during the final prayer (the team was seated on stage and usually their cue to stand or sit or whatever is given by me). I stood and held my hands down and back motioning in a way that I thought might suggest...don't stand. Well, Tracy Dean was seated next to me and the other soprano for the day. I guess she thought the motion meant...let's hold hands. HA!!! She reached out and took my hand. I heard Cindy snicker and that was it. Why do I love crazy moments like that so much?

Life, family, this journey...all full of awesome moments. Sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously. We should never forget how to laugh!

This weekend has been full of important moments. Some are like the ones I wrote about last week...snapshots that you want to just freeze in time. Others are like snapshots of you from 5th grade that you want to burn in case anyone might possibly get their hands on them.

First, Sheryl brought the kids up yesterday afternoon while she worked at the Otter consignment sale (it was AWESOME!). Maddie and Ella were in the sanctuary trying on different costumes from my office (from old Otter musicals and things). They would dress up, sing and dance, and then Sam would clap for them. It was so adorable. Then we brought out three stools and I sat in the middle and the girls sat on either side. Sam crawled around. We sat there for probably 25 minutes just singing. They wanted to sing You are Holy, I Will Worship, Shout Hallelujah, What Can Wash Away My Sin, etc. They sat on their stools and just belted it out with all the gusto they could manage. It even sounded really good!

Second, through Doug Sanders' AWESOME connections with Metro Housing, today we were able to deliver a refridgerator to a family who lived in the projects. They live in what we would consider 3rd world conditions...no air, no fridge, no stove, no food, only a mattress on the ground, but lots of smiles.

After dropping off the fridge we went to another area in the projects where a woman we'll call Janice lived. She's a single mom, 27yrs old, with a 5 yr old daughter (LaQuandra) and a 6 year old son (Elijah). They lost everything in a fire. Everything. Sheryl spent all morning rounding things up with the help of Maddie and Ella. I was proud of them for wanting to get rid of some of their "good" toys and dress up clothes. How many of us also have bedding sitting in closets we NEVER use? We were also able to take a bunch of kids clothes from the consignment sale to them. Anyway--Maddie, Ella, Sam and Sheryl came with me. Doug led us to "Janice's" house. LaQuandra ran out to meet us. Maddie and Ella disappeared upstairs (a nice, though little, place for the projects). Doug and I put her bed together and Sheryl helped unload some food. I went into "LaQuandra's" bedroom where she was telling Maddie and Ella she wanted them to see her toys. She pulled out this black bag and in it were 2 things---a stretchy thing that goes around a suitcase to hold it together, and a ratty old stuffed pink donkey that was losing all it's stuffing. She shrieked with delight at the dolls, dress up stuff, and books. Maddie and Ella beamed. On the way out Maddie said, "That was a good house...just the right size." They have no concept of "the projects". She just thought it was a cool place to live. I love the way kids think.

I say all that not seeking a pat on the back. I say it for this reason...I am so grateful for Doug Sanders. He is a GIFT to our church staff. It was his initiative that took us there...his idea. I asked him how Metro Housing got hooked up with him and he said simply, "Well, I just went down there one day and introduced myself to them and told them we wanted to help." DUH! I just continue to be grateful for the way he shows Jesus to me by helping push me outside myself.

Now, finally, I will NOT be giving full details on this part...and hopefully most of you won't have read this far (Russ Debenport won't for sure). You all know me well enough by now through stories and other things to know what a big statement this is...last night I had the single most embarrassing moment of my entire life. The only thing I'll give you is this...during a play at a community theater in east Nashville, I...let's just say that I had some issues. Issues which have caused me more humiliation than I ever thought possible...even for me. Someday, possibly at my funeral, my old college roommates (Stephen, Craig, Chris) can share the story in its entirety. For now, suffice it to say, I will never be the same. And neither will any of the people who actually saw me. BLESS. I believe that's enough sharing for today.

Love this pic of Sam!


Phil Keaggy. Brilliant, humble, genuine, freakishly gifted. Note to self, when Phil Keaggy asks if he can bring some “friends”, ALWAYS say yes. Turns out his 2 buddies were the guys who made up the group Glass Harp back in the early 70s. That was the group that really put Phil on the map. Daniel and John played and sang with Phil as they had done 30 years ago when they were filling concert halls. The blend was awesome. The music they made was absolutely incredible. At one point as Phil played his 1970 electric guitar, I thought his fingers were going to catch on fire. Simply amazing! I have never enjoyed Phil as much as I did last night. I told him afterwards that it was so fun to watch him make music with buddies. (He and John have been friends since the 8th grade.) It was fun visiting with him. There’s just something about that guy’s heart—simply spectacular. So hard to believe they are empty nesters now. I really enjoyed the night. THANK YOU, PHIL!!!

I’m sitting at Williamson Medical Center waiting as my mom has cataract surgery. She’s a trooper. It’s hard to see your parents age. Though her mind continues to sharpen in wisdom and Godliness, her body continues to challenge her. Sometimes that seems backwards to me. But, it seems the Creator knows what He’s doing. (Mom came through GREAT!!! The doctors keep telling her that her blood sugar levels are looking great and she's really doing well. YEA MOM!)

ZOE is coming!! The conference is shaping up. Can’t wait to see those of you coming! I am really excited about my long time best friend and brother, Stephen Bailey, leading a track this year on Saturday. I’ve thought for a long time that one of the biggest missing elements is a track for ministers who are leading start-up ministries. There are unique struggles, unique blessings. Stephen came out of the film industry as part owner in a highly successful special effects company to lead worship at a church in the DFW metroplex. His gifts are perfectly suited for ministry to churches of any size, but his experience in starting the ministry at Lake Cities gives him a voice to those who are wrestling with how to start a ministry from scratch. I couldn’t be more excited about him joining us this year for our series of conferences. He and Joel Quile (the pulpit minister with Stephen) will both be at the conference. Joel will be doing a class on interpretive dance. (um, that’s sarcasm in case you missed it. Ha—can you imagine? Go Quile, go Quile, go Quile…)

Here are a couple of pictures from Lauren’s birthday party last week…


our friend, Lauren with Maddie



Kyle, Ella and some freak.

All you Nashvegas residents and those within driving distance...

Come join us tonight for Phil Keaggy and friends at Otter Creek at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30. Free admission.

Come and bring a friend!

Here are some snapshots of moments I've enjoyed over the last few weeks. (Blogger is finally letting me post)


Girls are ready for their dance recital!


Ella is having a blast!


curtain call


Daddy and Maddie at the recital.


No real change in David's condition. Please keep praying. Apparently, they thought Sunday night was it after he caught Pneumonia and couldn't breathe. However, he made a serious comeback in the early morning hours Monday.

Do you ever want to freeze time? I've had that feeling a lot in life. I remember having it with my father when my young mind realized that he would not live to see my wife and kids. I remember having it in college as I laughed myself hoarse with my roommates. I remember feeling that way at our wedding reception as we were surrounded by our dearest friends. I remember certain days, certain pictures, certain feelings that remain as snapshots in my brain.

I felt that way Monday as I watched Maddie walk up those big steps to her Pre-K class at Otter Creek. It had snuck up on me. I hadn't stopped to realize that there wouldn't be anymore family days on Mondays when everyone was home. I held her that night and wanted to freeze time.

After loving on Maddie, I went over to Ella's bed and scratched her back and told her like I try to tell her often, "There's nothing you can ever do to make me not love you. I love you when you're good. I love you when you're bad. I will always, always, always love you." Then I laid down next to her and gave her a big hug and said one last time... "I love you!!"

She turned over and looked at me with this dead pan expression and said, "You told me that three times. I think that's kinda weird." (in her growly little Ella voice.) I laughed out loud. She's a nut.

Reality is, time is fleeting. Every minute, every second means something. We have opportunities that are here and gone in an instant. We are but a blade of grass--here today and gone tomorrow. The love of God is from everlasting to everlasting.

Take time today to take snapshots. Soak it all in. Seize an opportunity. Say something you need to say to someone you love. Don't wait.

Here's one last snapshot to leave you with...Maddie on her first day of Pre-K

Please pray for Sheryl's oldest brother, David Largent. David has been struggling with cancer. It appears that it has spread pretty quickly. He fell last weekend and broke his hip in 3 places. The doctors aren't optimistic about time. We're praying that he knows the love of Christ before his life here is over. Please join us in that prayer.

Things I don't so much like...

--snakes (can barely type it)
--mushrooms
--sushi
--milk
--long boring meetings
--the endless barrage of spam email
--the RETARDED email forwards that threaten bad luck for 15 years unless you forward the email and subject your friends to the same stupid message. Did I mention I can't stand those??
--watching baseball on TV

Things I really love...

--my family
--friends
--laughter!!
--celebrating birthdays (YEA LAUREN!!)
--Steak Maui at Houston's (Nashville no longer has a Houston's. BOOOOOO!!)
--seeing acts of kindness
--great movies
--pictures


My friend Sally Gary comes in town this afternoon. She's on that last list too. I'm looking forward to having some good time with her. Maddie starts pre-K on Friday. I'm still trying to get my mind around that. I'm SO glad we decided to wait on Kindergarten. It'll be hard enough to get used to her being gone 3 days a week. She's excited though.

Feel free to leave some of your most and least favorite things...and if you don't...you'll have bad luck for 20 years. Pass that on to all the people you really want to annoy.

PS: I've been asked this several times recently...you don't have to keep up a blog to publish a comment here. You do have to register though. It gives you a profile which basically says your name and that's all you really have to do. Hope that helps answer some questions if there are those of you wanting to comment but not wanting to maintain a blog.

Updates...

--the trip to Alabama with ZOE was a wonderful experience. The church was warm, sincere and very worshipful. I was so blessed to be there! Thanks to all those who were instrumental in bringing ZOE there.

--Sunday, some of us met down at SIR (a building full of rehearsal spaces that many touring bands use before they hit the road) to begin rehearsals for a night that will be called "A Light for the City". Nashville's brand new and amazing Schermerhorn Symphony Center will house a night of Christian music on October 15th. ZOE will be singing that night. More information on tickets soon. We are so pumped about singing in that space!

--Sunday night the girls danced their hearts out while 7 or 8 life group friends and their Nonnie watched. Geof and Amanda brought flowers for the girls as did the McInturffs. They were so sweet to do that. The girls were beside themselves with excitement. It was a great night. Hopefully, I can post pics soon.

Finally, today is a special day in our lives. On August 15, we celebrate several things...Karin Hensley's birthday (ZOE), Beth Ann Fisher's birthday (Craig's wife), Taylor's birthday (The Doggett's daughter)...but most importantly for us, our anniversary! We have been married 8 years today. I'm thankful for Sheryl, for her graceful ways and her loving heart. I'm a blessed man!

We're in dance recital time. Maddie and Ella have done a fantastic job. They have one more performance Sunday night at New Song at 5:30. It’s been fun to watch them prepare and get excited about it. Blogger won't let me post pics for some reason. Maybe I've reached my max?

As I mentioned, I’ve been at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. It’s been mostly good. As is always the case, you have to take some things and translate it to your own tribe or environment. Perhaps one of the greatest things I’ve been reminded of this week is that leaders are called to inspire people. And one of the best ways to inspire people is to paint a picture…a dream that’s bigger than ourselves. The Kingdom of Jesus is an upside down kingdom. It’s a way of death…not exactly popular. Come and die. Come and lose your life and gain His. Come and give up your rights and lay down your will. These are not exactly great conference themes. I’ve missed hearing some of that this week.

The other thing about conference or “group think” that is sometimes troubling is when someone we respect stands and says, “This is the best way to achieve results…” and people all nod their heads and leave trying to make their places look exactly like that. It’s troubling to me because there is a certain truth in principle to all of that, but there are often discrepancies. I’ve found myself uncomfortable in ZOE settings after teaching a class and going home replaying it in my mind. I have tried more in recent years to stress how the Holy Spirit wants to do a unique work in all of our places. There are awesome ideas we can share and ways communal discernment can create something better than we could ever do on our own...but I confess to you that often times the messiness of that causes us to opt for the least common denominator. I shiver when I hear people say things like…”Well, we can’t do it that way because that’s not how ZOE does it”. Or, today I heard someone say, “Well, Bill Hybels said we have to…”

Praise God for His example of the Body---all parts, all functions, all joined together serving our purpose and working towards the same end. We need each other. And…aren’t we glad?

ZOE sings in Athens, Alabama Saturday night (tonight). It's my first date back with ZOE. I'm looking forward to it!

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!
The kids' record I produced with Eric Wyse called Playground released yesterday! The first shipment to stores was 20,000! Wooo-hooo!! TJ sounds great on it! He wrote most of the songs. He and I co-wrote a couple. It will also be available on itunes. I'll let you know when. Click here to find a Parable bookstore near you! God's hand was on this project from start to finish. It was one of the most enjoyable projects I've ever been a part of. Please, go buy lots of CDs!!

Willow Creek Leadership Summit today at the People's Church in Franklin. Should be a great day.

We had praise team auditions last night. That's always an important night, somewhat stressful, but I'm convinced it's the right way to go. It affords me an opportunity to spell out the vision of the worship ministry and stress the importance of gifting and heart. Basically, just because someone can sing doesn't mean they should be leading worship (on praise team). We're really looking for men and women who have a passion for worship and leading worship.

The girls have their first ever dance recital today. There will be another one Sunday night at New Song Church in Franklin. I'll try and post pics tomorrow. I can't wait to see it!!!

(Look real close)

OK, please don't throw stones at me, but I LOVE ME SOME RICKY BOBBY! Some guys from life group and I went last night. It could quite possibly be the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. I laughed until I hurt. Absolutely hilarious.

I needed the laugh. My cousin, Deana, was in a bad motorcycle accident over the weekend. She was life flighted and is in critical condition. She had surgery today and they are hoping to save her foot. She broke both legs and has severe head trauma. Please lift her up. I'll keep you posted.

Last night at Samson we talked about "responsibility". It brought up some quirky feelings in me. Some that I'm still processing. I have this love/ hate relationship with responsibility. I was actually named "Most Dependable" in my High School year book...please save the jokes (I was also named best dressed, but at Wylie in those days that wasn't too hard to manage.) After losing my dad I felt a lot of self imposed responsibility. It did weird things to me. Not all bad. We're all responsible to live up to our calling as children of God. Perhaps my struggles with it come from knowing how desperately far I am from deserving that title? Whatever the case, it's one more reminder that I am a work-in-progress.

Then...to end a weird day of extreme emotions, I ate most of a pack of chewy Spree. 75% of them were red and purple. Gotta love it!!! What can I say? There's joy in the small things!

Last Friday we took a quick trip to Chattanooga to meet Paul and Jill Young and their family. They moved to Atlanta last year and we really miss them. Jill's parents live in Chattanooga so we met there since it is half way.

Maddie and Mack were inseparable as babies and toddlers. It was so fun watching them all play together again. Paul and Jill have a new addition to their family...baby James! Mack, Champ, and James are like little brown surfers...making our little white marshmallows look even whiter! It was so fun laughing and being together again. We love the Youngs! Here are some pictures of the weekend.



The kids pose on Friday after taking a walk in the rain.



Paul and Champ. Champ's hilarious personality shines through!



Sam cools off in the shade



Ella and Mack



Maddie and Ella at the fountains



At the park



The kids enjoy Hawaiian shaved ice

Last night I was laying on Ella's bed waiting for her while she brushed her teeth with Sheryl. She came and jumped on me and kissed me. I said, "Wow! Your breath smells good!!"

She stared at me with a funny, confused expression. She sat up, pulled her shirt collar out and stuck her nose down the front of her shirt.

"My breasts don't smell like anything," she said.

I haven't stopped laughing since.

I'm in car hell. Literally. One morning last week my trusty old '98 Blazer with 122,000 miles wouldn't start. I called Doug Sanders and he came and jumped it for me. I drove her to my AWESOME car mechanic (Nashville residents, ask me about this place) who changed the battery for me. Once they did, however, it appeared that something got fried in the jump start. The temperature thingy (this is why I don't work on cars) is all messed up. As a result, the air conditioner doesn't work.

The guys at the garage worked on it for 2 1/2 days. TWO AND A HALF DAYS! I was thinking the labor costs alone was going to kill me. They called and said that after they called GM, ordered parts and tried everything they couldn't figure it out. So, yesterday I picked it up and they charged me...nothing. YEA! They are awesome!

So, the thing is, the air conditioner is broken yet blows air...air that can't be turned off...air that blows out the top and on my feet...air that is somewhere around 500 degrees. I drove to work at 8am this morning and in the 10 minutes it took me to get there I ended up looking like a cat that had fallen into a swimming pool. Nasty. Car hell.

Praise GOD for the Pearmans at Otter Creek who are loaning me their Dodge truck. I am cruisin around in a king cab, baby! Hallelujah and praise the Lord for air conditioning!!!!!!!

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At my Samson group last night the discussion topic was "honesty". More on that later this week. It was an amazing discussion...one that has stuck with me and given me food for thought today.

Have a great night, friends!