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Hello all, I have not blogged in quite some time but thought hey lets give it another try...Subject of the day would be celebrity deaths and how they effect you. Today was the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death. That is first of all very hard to believe. I do remember it but it really did not effect me like it did thousands of others. Perhaps it is because the Beetles broke up while I was really young and I never really liked Lennon that much anyway....

Also today was the day after Elizabeth Edwards passed away from cancer. What got my attention on this one is that so much time and energy was given to John Edwards the husband she was seperated from. Ms. Edwards had enough of a life on her own that she could have easily been recgonized by her own accomplisments instead of her husband's infidelity. She overcame much and I have been most impressed with how she dealt with her 16 year old's death over a decade ago and how she and John had kids very much later in life, late 40's early 50's.

Though no offense to Edwards but she is not the type of death that an entire world takes notice. Like Lennon's where 100,000 people gather in Central Park for a moment of silence. Edwards is more of a local and or political type of celebrity. Kind of like a sports figure.

A final thought on this subject that came to me after I closed down earlier...this is my favorite quote on the thought; 'it is not the style of the worship that makes it right or not; it is the condition of the heart.' We all need to work on that part and the rest will work itself out, don't you think....Styles change and have been for 2000 years and more, what we should concern ourselves most with is what God concerns himself with and that is indeed our heart....Somewhere I think I changed the subject on this blog, I think the rest of the week we will work in some other direction, perhaps a fun one....I think the gods are against me here in Rowlett, all spring I prayed for no rain and got all bent out of shape if it did, because rain messes with soccer. Now it has not rained for a month and is super hot. It rains everywhere but in my neighborhood, I am going to have to think of some way to break the curse!!....back at you later with a new subject...

Part of the mess of the so called worship wars is from this whole age thing. People too young who believe that 'praise and worship' (I hate the term but am using it anyway) music was the only way to go and ignored the people 20, 30 or 40 years older than them. Anytime you do this it leads to people feeling irrelevant and always, always adds tension. When tension like this grows even in the church, especially in the church people take sides and never give it up. The whole way it was handled by both sides served to segregate church's into 'traditional' and contemporary, by the way I do not like either of those terms...the bottom line is that it is contemporary if you are doing it today, no matter what music style you choose, but back to the point...At any age we need to learn to listen to one another and their life experiences, a church with nothing but young people misses the influence of older stable believers, a church with nothing but older misses out on the enthusiasm and spontaneity of the younger people..We need to ask what is important to you and then ask why...we need to hear each others voice..The bottom line and many churches have caught this vision is that the best worship is in the middle; a little of both, a little compromise...we all need each other to complete the family of God, as younger people start out in ministry life would be a lot smoother and God would get a lot more done if we just took time to listen and acknowledge that some older folks, maybe not big time older than us, but older, have some pretty solid thoughts....I kind of went all over the place on this one, unless someone responds I am heading in another direction....maybe it is getting too late....

Actually the title should be 'age and worship leaders' or age and ministers. In Gordon MacDonald's book A Resilient Life he tells a story about going to a conference for worship leaders and one of the first things that hit him was that the oldest person in the room besides him was probably about in their mid thirties and most of them were in their twenty's. Here is the deal, he thought to himself (I paraphrase) these young people are leading people in their 50's, 60's and 70's in worship. What do they know about people that age....Right on and I have thought this for years, even when I was in my 20's leading youth, what do I know about how to deal with a youth if I have never had one?..Before you leap on me here, don't worry I think young people can be good leaders they just have to have a sensitive heart to those older. They have to have good ears and an attitude that says 'I don't know everything." Another good attitude is to not have a condescending one toward parents whose kids are in trouble. Until you have been there you never really know how it feels or what it is like. Books are good as teaching tools but nothing teaches like experience....As I near 50 I wish I could go back and take back a few words and actions in ministry, really more than a few. Thank God he overcame my youthful mistakes and hopefully used me anyway...next lets talk about age in worship leaders...

Gosh it is hot here in Dallas early this year that is no fun whatsoever!....I debated what the next blog would be about and came up with one(see title)...but first be on the look out next week, we will start our Summer Missions Project which will have us feeding and ministering a host of children at our church and a local Mobile Home Park...We will blog about it and maybe twit which sounds really funny to me. It is what I have been waiting about a year for and now I am a bit antsy about it, that is why this post is so late in the day or early in the morning, can't sleep...Keep us in your prayers as we put the pieces together; Adam (my second son) and I will be leading it, with the watchful eye of Kim and Lesley not far behind either of us, which is a good thing...okay back at you in a minute with the new subject...

Back after a nice Sunday at church and home, why we even got to take a nap!...Okay we are talking about things that inspire us, we have dealt with books and so now we are moving to movies. This list is long so I am going to try and just give a word or two about each one. I don't like to watch movies that don't touch me or speak to me in some way. Here are a few movies to get us started. Again this list is not in any particular order:
1) Remember the Titans, sports movie but great as far as showing how a group can be brought together by the right leadership.
2) It's A Wonderful Life, shows how the little things in life can make a big difference and how taking care of others leads to love and appreciation.
3) Family Man, I have really started enjoying this show lately, reveals how important the decisions we make are and how they can effect our life. Puts to rest the 'grass is always greener' theory. The older I get, the more I appreciate this one.
4) Facing the Giants, great Christian movie. I can really relate to some of this story and just good clean stuff. Has too many messages to go into in one blog.
5) Amazing Grace, I love the story and this one may inspire me more than any of the others. Encourages standing up for what is right no matter what, encourages staying with it even after defeats. Calls me to stay with the cause and not listen to the nay sayers...good stuff.
6) Apollo 13, this one is my favorite, inspires me, entertains me and reminds me of my youth growing up in the Apollo era. Great teamwork movie, courage movie, love the way his wife sticks up for him in the movie (mine would do the exact same thing). I watch it often....

That is the deal, I watch this movies to keep me focus and inspired. We need that in our life. If anyone drops in you can throw what you like out, but not just like, but what motivates you, what inspires you...heading off..Remember tomorrow is Memorial Day, thank God for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms...

I am back to interact with myself for a while, the subject is media motivators and we are supposed to be moving to Movies that inspire...First let me tell you of the three books I am into right now; the first is Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life. I am using this one for my life work at the moment and it is very good. The subtitle is rethinking ministry to the poor and this book really makes you do that, making it very good for me as I work with the people in Southeast Dallas. The author is Robert D. Lupton...The other is Dare to Dream by John C. Maxwell and has some real insight into making your dreams reality, great motivational quotes in this book. Not a long book wouldn't take you long to read it. I read half of it while getting my car washed; yes the car does look good washed....The last one is A Resilient Life by Gordon MacDonald. Very very good book here. He returns to his teenage days and speaks of a running coach that taught him how to look at the big picture in life. I really believe sports in high school and younger can help people grow disciplines and learn how to set and reach for goals. That is a side note, the subtitles for this book are "finish what you start/persevere in adversity/ Push yourself to your potential. Our society and I must say myself has some issues with each of those and could use a little help. I bought this book for 2.50 at Mardells, what a bargain. They have a million books on sell for next to nothing. Well maybe not a million but a bunch...okay movies next time, I am off to check out some very special additions to the Harris family; twins born many months premature but 18 months later doing great...