morgancafe blog

Adjusting our Just Prayers

2012-01-31T14:17:00.000-06:00

Ever tried to pray without the word just? It's difficult. Me being a word guy, just prayers kind of bug me. Why?

Think about how we use just:

If I just had a little more time.

I'll just have a little piece of pie.

If I could just get this one project finished.

We use just when we only want this one thing. We use just when we don't want too much, but this modest amount. We use it when we want just enough but not too much.

God, if you could just fix this problem...

God, if you could just bring comfort...

God, if you could just...

Maybe God's presence is in proprtion to how we pray. Maybe He hasn't done more amazing things because we've asked him to just do this and just do that. Maybe our just prayers unintentionally put restraints on the Lion of Judah more than unleash Him.

I don't want to "just God." I want to boundlessly unleash God!
I don't want a modest piece of God, I want him to run all over my plate of problems!
I don't want God to only do this thing I'm asking.
I want him to be all over, around, under and through the geographical area of my problems!

Here's my challenge: try to pray without the word just. Pray in a way that asks God to fully and wildly be in the entire vicinity of your concerns and needs. It will change how you pray.

Adjust your just prayers and see how it changes the way you perceive, relate with and pray to our limitless God.

Peace.

Feel Free to Ask me About...

2012-01-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

Haiti.

I often run across people who tip-toe around the issue or say cautiously, "I'm sure you're tired of talking it..."

For the record, feel free to ask me anything you'd like about this. Anything.

God provided, rescued and healed me in amazing ways. I am glad to talk about being fortunate enough to be part of His insane and powerful story that played out in Haiti that week.

In fact, sometimes when I talk about it I get a new insight or perspective. And I'm quite sure He didn't save me so that I could be tight-lipped about what happened.

So feel free to ask...whatever...

Peace.

p.s.
In case you haven't heard it, here's the link to the team's interview about the ordeal the Sun following at Oakbrook Church.

Occupy the Y--wk 3 Begins w/the Tres Hombres

2012-01-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

Posts in this series:

blog 1.9.12

blog 1.16.12

blog 1.19.12

Caution: some sweating may occur during workouts. Ok, plenty of sweating occurs. If nothing else I am excelling at panting like a collie in August and sweating like a colander.

When one is still north of three hundred pounds and has lived a very sedentary lifestyle, being out of breath and sweaty comes quickly and easily at the Y. That said, there's something good about sweating. Maybe it's the contrast of winter when we're seemingly always cold, but I think there's more to it.

It feels good to sweat. It's evidence that you're doing something. I don't usually take a towel with me; I prefer to wipe my sweaty face with the chest-part of my shirt. (No, I don't pull the bottom of my shirt over my head exposing my sexy beast tum-tum!) My sweat mark on my shirt is my mental badge of courage. It reminds me I'm working, making progress.

After two weeks it's going pretty well. I feel like I a got a little closer with Nicole last week and engaged her as a person, not a punishing trainer. (I'm still reserving that right, though.)

I looked forward to some workouts. I enjoyed the weight machines--the white ones that I never knew how to use. I like those much more than free weights as I can just focus on moving them since they'll dictate the motion. I got called "a machine" on those! (With free weights I wonder if my technique is correct; the machines ensure that it is.)

It was clearly better than week one; week one sucks, people. But it is still hard. The stairs are killers (and the Y has a huge stockpile of them). It's still emotionally and physically difficult to keep pushing through the cardio times when Nicole isn't there; not like it's easy when she's there.

So far I'm clearly feeling better, breathing better, standing taller, losing weight, and...looking forward to it.

Yes. My day's lead up to 4pm when workouts begin. It forces me to be done with work and look forward to something else. (Honestly I'm probably looking forward to being DONE at 5.)

Hey...if I can do this...anybody can do this! If you're thinking about it...do it. The YMCA's a great place to hang out...except for the big sweaty panting guys like me ;-)

The Tres Hombres are there gasping for breath Mon-Fri 4-5pm.

If you want to follow us on the Twitters we're
@morgancafe
@GraphicsKing209 (Chad McCarter)
@DuBeeDuBeeDoo (Dave Dubois)

Peace my friends!
--Morgan of the Tres Hombres

What I Learned at McDonald's

2012-01-20T08:30:00.001-06:00

My first management job was at the W. Sycamore McDonald's when I was 19 years old. That was back when they had snazzy 100% polyester uniforms; tres chic!

The store manager was Scott (Dana) Sutton. His leadership marked me in profound ways that stick with me today. Allow me to share some "Sutton-isms."

1. "Don't make your best hamburger cooker a manager!"
This is about gifting and this is a mistake we see all over the workforce landscape from fast food restaurants to the NFL. Cooks and managers have different skill sets; being great at one may have nothing to do with the other.

The world needs both. Every organization need people who excel at every level. How many times do we see great assistant/position coaches in the NFL get promoted to Head Coach only to fail miserably? (e.g. Wade Phillips, Dom Capers, Steve Spagnola) If you're a great hamburger cooker, be the best at it!

Know who you are. Find out your strengths and use them. Don't aspire to be someone you're not and don't let someone else put you in a position to be who you aren't.

2. "Keep your car clean."
This came from a situation where a new District Mgr came in and didn't like one of the great local managers because he thought he was a slob. Scott said, "All he has to do is clean up his car and take the new D.M. for a ride in it."

This may sound silly but simple things like how we keep our car makes an impact on people. People will draw conclusions about us based on how we keep our car, our home, our desk, our clothes etc. This is human nature. And guess what? How we take care of these mundane areas of our life does reflect who we are and how together or not-together we are.

3. "You running the shift or is the shift running you?"
This was a common question asked of inexperienced mgrs. But it's a great question. The question reveals that how things are going isn't happenstance or fate or flukes; it's based on our command (or lack of command) of the situation.

And this isn't just about shifts. Try these out:
You running your life or is life running you?
You running your schedule or is your schedule running you?
You running your kids or are your kids running you?
You running your finances or are your finances running you?

This is about taking responsibility, not excuses. You can do it!

4. "If I don't goof off once in a while, you'll never want my job, then I'll be stuck with it forever."
He would always say that in jest but it's deeper than that. We should perform our jobs in such a manner and attitude that someone would aspire to it. Seriously, if we're complaining and being negative, who would want our job? Who would want to move up in the organization?

It revealed that with rank come privileges; which is good! And it also paved the way for possibility. It let us know he didn't want that job forever and that his job was preparing us to take his someday. It's a statement of succession. Every organization needs people grooming people to move up.

Who can you help prepare to move up? Who can help you move up?

Big thanks to Scott (Dana) Sutton: a straight shooting pull-no-punches manager who did a great job of building into young punks like me ;-)

Hope: Marriage Seminars & the Y

2012-01-19T08:35:00.002-06:00

I noticed something new this week. Most of the people working out at the YMCA are fit. Overweight guys like me are the minority.

And likewise, when I looked at the list of people signed up for a marriage seminar our church is hosting this Saturday, something stood out: the majority of couples signed up have what I would say are strong marriages.

Honestly I got discouraged when I looked at the list. "There should be a ton of people I don't know on here!" I thought. My nose got quite out of joint actually. I thought, "The next time someone from our church wants my help with their marriage, I'm going to say, 'And where were you guys Jan 21?!'"

But later it occurred to me about the Y. That it's full of fit people. And that I, in my poor health, had passed it by hundreds of times.

What finally got me to the Y? First, God had set something in motion with one sentence at a leadership conference in August. Next I'm at Dr. Haendigas' office. Later came a personal challenge from Dave Dubois and my wife. And finally, only now am I there five days a week. (And my journey is FAR from over!)

So when I see the marriage seminar sign up list I realize it's indicative of human nature. Fit people exercise. Intelligent people read. Spiritually mature people pursue God. People with good marriages work on their marriages.

And those with average (or worse) marriages don't know how to improve their marriages. They don't prioritize wisely. They don't choose to go to marriage seminars. Perhaps they lack hope; they don't believe their marriage can change. Much like I didn't have hope all those times I drove past the Y.

So we need to personally reach out--if we know someone with an average (or worse) marriage, we need to invite. Invite them to Saturday's marriage seminar. Invite hope into their life.

Who do you know who wants a stronger marriage? Or let me ask it another way: Who do know who's really enjoying their mediocre marriage?

Fusion 2.1 Marriage Conference. Check it out. Invite. Sign up day of if you wish.

Hope.

Wedding Photographer?

2012-01-17T12:54:00.000-06:00

So I've been telling people, "I'm not a wedding photographer." Why?

1. People can be really uptight at weddings (Bridezilla is a word.)

2. You've got one shot at it; ONE.

3. They're Fri. and nearly all day/night Saturday.

4. Um yeah, I have a job ;-)

Contrary to my words, I've accidentally done two:

Elijah & Alyssa click

Echo & Brian click

I said yes to EJ & Alyssa because they're great young people and I wanted to give them a (hopefully) great gift. I said yes to Echo because she's Echo: she has a great personality, would never be a Bridezilla, doesn't know how to take a bad photo and her location was to die for.

I'm not sure who in their right mind asks someone to photograph their wedding, whose really not shot a wedding before. But perhaps Echo's reckless confidence in my modest photography skills made me want to do it. Who doesn't like a wild card? A long shot? A little risk?

So currently...I have two people asking about my availability to shoot their weddings. What to do? What to do?

Feel free to weigh in.

Occupy the Y: wk 2 Begins

2012-01-16T18:06:00.001-06:00

(If you missed the first post in this series, click here.)

It's Monday night and week 1 of 12 is in the record books. The good news is today's workout went pretty well. The elliptical machine kicks my butt, but Chad McCarter & I survived it.

So far I've learned a few things:
1. I'm in incredibly poor shape.
2. This is hard physically and mentally.
3. Dave's the loud one, Chad is the nice one & I'm the quiet one.
4. Nicole is very nice but I'm still nervous when she's there.
5. I left the C out of the YMCA...

I realized today that in our first week of working out it was just me versus the workout. I know God is in me, wants to be with me, and do life with me. But somehow last week I locked Him in my car during the workouts.

So today I tried to smuggle Him in. Here and there as I was gasping for breath, I tried to pray to Him. I'd asked Him to help me grow in strength mentally, physically, and spiritually. I prayed for our church staff and my family.

No long profound prayer time here; I mean I am seriously just struggling to stay in the game when we're there. But I found while praying on the treadmill today, the time seemed to go faster. Not that I was going any faster, mind you.

So as we start week 2, I am aware how mentally tough this is. And I am aware that God wants to go with me to the workouts w/Nicole and the other Hombres. Because clearly--He needs a good laugh too!

Thankful to be part of this. If you're so inclined and would like to pray for me in this, that would be great. If you're not so inclined, little dabs of encouragement do wonders.

If you want to follow us on the Twitters we're
@morgancafe
@GraphicsKing209 (Chad McCarter)
@DuBeeDuBeeDoo (Dave Dubois)

Peace my friends!
--Morgan of the Tres Hombres

21 Ways to Make 2012 Better

2012-01-16T11:21:00.001-06:00

This came from Mark Malin's Jan 9th Oakbrook Blog. It's so good it warrants re-posting. Choose one or two that stick out, implement them and see what happens!

1. Believe the best about people. Make trust your default, not suspicion.

2. Be on time. Great leaders are rarely late.

3. Under promise and over deliver. Our tendency is to do the opposite.  

4. Stop blaming people. Just stop. Your will start taking responsibility for yourself as a result.

5. Pray for your enemies. You will forgive them…and they will not be your enemies for long.

6. Review the week ahead on Sunday night for ten minutes. Monday won’t seem nearly as intimidating

7. Get up earlier. The early bird actually usually does get the worm.

8. Go to bed earlier. Stop falling asleep on the couch.

9. Read the bible. Read at least 3 verses of scripture every morning, more if you’re up to it.

10. Never say “I don’t have the time.” Instead, say “I’m not going to make the time.” It will change how you see time…and priorities.

11. Smile. Most people look moderately unhappy most of the time.

12. Clean your personal space. A clean desk, car or office makes you feel better about yourself.

13. Give 10%. Give away the first tenth of everything you make. You’ll be surprised at how liberating this is.

14. Pay cash (as in bills in your wallet) for discretionary items. You will spend less and save more.

15. Exercise. Enough said. Just get moving.

16. Do something for yourself everyday. People who care for themselves are better at caring for others.

17. Read outside your area of interest. Apps like Zite and Flipboard even make this so easy.

18. Automate what’s important. Schedule appointments with yourself for what matters. Automatically take savings and givings out of your bank accounts.

19. Serve somewhere. People who serve others live longer and are happier.

20. Show up prepared. Whether it’s a meeting or simply coming home, prepare yourself before you show up.

21. Play. Most of us have forgotten how to play. Rediscover it.

Occupy the Y: Day 1 of 12 Weeks

2012-01-09T13:16:00.000-06:00

photo dubiously acquired from Kokomo Perspective...

The last couple months of 2011 ended positively with a great partnership with Dr. Haendigas' medical weight loss program. Lost 20 lbs and continuing on with her great staff--wonderful program and people!

Now to add the piece of the Haendigas puzzle that I heretofore have not been very good at: (enter music of dread) Physical Exercise!

Thanks to my wife, the YMCA and personal trainer, Nicole Peele (oy--if she only knew what she was getting herself into) YMCA CEO Dave Dubois, Kokomo Perspectivian Chad McCarter and I will spend five days a week working out together under Nicole's Torquemadian guidance for the next twelve weeks.

For simplicity in the future I'll simply refer to us as the Tres Hombres. That sounds slightly of infamy but simply translated: three guys. How descriptive and apt.

I have to admit, approximately 2 hours from workout #1 I'm a little nervous. Human nature; fear of the unknown. And slightly nervous about my lower back disc issues; I ain't a kid anymore!

All jokes aside, I truly appreciate the Kokomo YMCA and Nicole and the other Dos Hombres for making this opportunity possible. More than the nervousness, I am looking forward to pursuing physical health in a holistic way that I've never done before. What an opportunity!

So look for the occasional blog update and follow along on "the twitters" @morgancafe. Now let's get this party started! ;-)

The Gospel of Food

2012-01-07T08:32:00.002-06:00

This week I had the honor of performing a funeral for a friend's mother. To my surprise God has revealed to me over the years that funeral's are in my wheelhouse. That is to say, He's gifted me in such a way to serve people well through them. As I see it, for me as the officiant I am in essence the story-teller of the deceased's life. Listening and putting words together in a meaningful way is a good fit for me. It's a blessing to bless people in this way. God is good.

Nevertheless, this post is not about that. This is about the simple and profound impact of food.

While we were at the funeral, Shelia Miller had arranged to bring a huge spread of fabulous food to the family's home. Prior to that, she had organized a small army of women to bring these dishes to the church.

Most people in our church don't know this behind-the-scenes stealth group of culinary angels exists. But allow me to say, their impact is profound and meaningful.

As we got back to the house, a huge spread of comforting food enveloped the large kitchen, from sides, salads, entrees and desserts. As I hung out over the next hour I honestly can't tell you how many times I overheard these words,

"Who brought all this food. It's amazing!" "DeAnna's church." "Wow..."

It's truly amazing what a simple and touching blessing it is for a family who just buried a loved one, to come home to an array of wonderfully delicious food. It's more than just convenience; it's very real care and compassion.

And I just kept hearing, "WHO did this?" "The church. Her church did this."

I can assure you, this makes an impact on people. I didn't know everyone there. But I know there was everything from sinner to saint. And it spoke to them all. Compassion is the universal language of love. It translate whether Christ is one's Savior or just an idea.

At a time like this, food is one of the most loving testimonies the church could provide. I am so proud of Shelia and all the women who serve stealthily in such a hands-on loving way. The gospel of food speaks to everyone in challenging times; and I believe the Holy Spirit uses this opportunity to linger about the bounty.

Pass the chicken...

Apology to My Non-Christian Friends

2011-12-25T10:39:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry that we Christians have defined this holiday as "the war on Christmas." I'm sorry that we get our panties in a bunch over the use of the word Xmas. I'm sorry that we write CHRISTmas, as if you hadn't seen the root word before. I'm sorry that we display the zeal of politicians in our embrace of Christmastime. I'm sorry that some Christians will read this and think, "Don't apologize for me!"

Even though you may not embrace Jesus as the center of this season, I appreciate that you like to embrace the general goodness and generosity of this season. I appreciated that you too, try to make this world a bit better during this season. I appreciate every kindness you extend to strangers regardless of your beliefs. I'm sorry that some of my fellow Christians don't appreciate that about you because "you're not getting it exactly right" from a Christian perspective.

I want you to know that like my fellow Christians, I too am guilty of making it a point to say things like Merry Christmas and God bless you, more than I am actually serving people in compassionate ways. I want my life to be exemplified as the hands and feet of my Savior, but sometimes--maybe even especially at this busy time of year--I give lip service to my faith more than actual compassionate acts. I'm sorry if I've displayed my Christ-laced words more than my Christ-based lifestyle.

But I want you to know that I and other Christ followers are trying to do better. I am so proud of my church. Can I share just a little? Just one small paragraph, I promise.

This past year we've given over 20,000 lbs of food to people in need in Kokomo. We've given 4,000+ man hours to help people and organizations in need. We've built two wells in third world countries. We bought a trailer this year just so we can take tangible things to people in need. But please don't hear bragging; I'm just proud that we're stepping up our tangible ways that reflect the heart of Jesus.

Like other churches, my church isn't perfect. We're doing better trying to live out our Christ-centered beliefs, but we have tons of room to grow. We are trying. I am trying.

Even though we Christians get it wrong, turning this season into a war and showing you our zeal; I want you to know that my heart breaks a little every time we don't lead with love. My Savior was all about love. He is love. That's what I want you to see and know. That love...the real love of Christ changes my life a little every day. I'm sorry it's not always the first thing we lead with.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Merry Xmas...

Love,
Morgan

Politically Incorrect Music Editorial

2011-12-22T14:36:00.001-06:00

There are two groups of singers/front men pictured. Take a look at them. Look closely.

One of these I can naturally relate with; the other not-so-much. As I write this I am 47. I relate with the older guys, but not because of age. It's because of something less tangible.

One these groups simply isn't very manly. They embrace their not-so-toughness and wear it like a badge of honor. I have no problem with that. No problem.

It's just that I don't relate with it. As I was coming of age, it was all about becoming a man. Not like a mindless macho douche kind of way, but in the completeness of manhood. Tough enough to not run from a fight. And tender and intelligent enough to appreciate art.

One group looks like it would have been chased down the halls of high school. The other group might be the chasers. One I relate with and the other I don't.

I'm not trying to trash a certain style of band here. It's just that I've been wrestling with why I'm not identifying with a lot of the current music style. Part of it is my age. I'll give you that. But the other real part of it is I don't relate with guys who could get beat up by most of the girls on their high school volleyball team. There. I said it.

Thoughts on Guns and Protection

2011-12-21T11:17:00.002-06:00

H&K 45 Ruger 1911

(Just for the record, my interest in shooting for recreational enjoyment started months before our little ordeal in Haiti. My interest in guns is not a reactionary response to what happened there. I am interested in recreational shooting. I'm not interested in guns for the protection of my home. Currently I do not yet own a gun. I do love to borrow them ;-)

So a few months ago my friend Daryl B. asks me to go to the shooting range. I've always been fascinated with guns so I said a quick yes. Honestly I had low expectations. I figured he'd be a great shot given his current military career. And I figured I'd suck, since I hadn't fired but a few guns in my life; none of which was recently. I guessed it would be like playing horse with Kobe Bryant.

It was a banner day. It turns out I didn't suck! I wasn't ready for Top Shot, but I did ok. Physically, it was fun. And the big surprise was what an emotional therapy session it was. Holding something lethal in one's hand has a singular way of focusing one's thoughts. It de-cluttered my mind. It did for my gray matter what a masseuse does for my back muscles. And did I mention it goes BOOM? In your hand?

On the periphery of this new hobby (and coming back from Haiti) is a line of thinking that I'd like to address.

People want to keep a handgun in the house to protect themselves and their family.
I have no problem if someone wishes to do that. But I do want to state that the idea of any kind of gun in the bedroom is a last resort; a last line of defense. So here are some thoughts on this:

a.) Before you spend money on a gun for the bedroom, spend way less than the price of a gun for lighting around your house and property. Lights are proven to be a great deterrent to bad guys.

b) Invest in solid doors on your house with solid dead bolt locks.

c) Keep you cell phone by your bed. 911 is a great defense. Even if you have a gun, don't you want back-up? (As many of us have dropped our land line, our cell phone is often charging in another room. Safer to keep it charging by your bed.)

d) If you're legitimately concerned about people getting in your house, get an alarm system. A gun alone is a horrible defense plan. Putting several things in place like lighting and an alarm system that greatly prevent you from having to use the gun, is a plan.

e) Having to shoot someone has strings attached. As my friend Daryl said,

"Be thankful none of you had to kill one of those Haitians. That creates another whole level of trauma and personal issues."

This is from a man who knows firsthand of which he speaks. Also consider the trauma to one's family.

f) A gun is not a system. Put a plan in place so the gun is the last resort, the final line of defense in your multistage system.

Plug: My friend Rodney Godfrey owns & runs Griffon Alarm & Security 765-513-6131

Baby is Proof...God Cries Too

2011-12-18T13:39:00.002-06:00

Click here for a free PDF copy of my message text.
(Click here if you need FREE Adobe Reader to read PDFs.)

By Tuesday afternoon an audio version shows up here.
Or you can open iTunes & search for "Oakbrook Podcasts"

Bought a Car...via TWITTER!

2011-12-08T12:53:00.001-06:00

So Meg was able to buy her first car today--through Twitter! She and I were looking at used car lots last Saturday and quickly realized that the amount she had saved was more of a private sale car price than a car lot price.

I thought, "Hmmm, wonder if one of my 800+ Facebook friends might have or know of a car for sale in that price range?" I tweeted it since my Twitter automatically dumps into Facebook.

Within a minute I get a tweet from someone I didn't know that says he has something in Meg's price range. I tweet back to find out where he is and we're off to Adam's Auto Group.

We get there and a man flags me down. "Hi I'm Jeff Kearnes. I'm Kevin Sprinkles brother. He said I should follow you (on Twitter) because you're funny. I recognized your picture from the Haiti deal and so I said to our manager, 'Can we make something happen for this guy?'"

So he shows us this late model Grand Prix with the 3800 engine they just took in. He said they'd go over it, make some repairs and even though they'd planned to price it much higher, they'd give it to us for what Meg had saved. Wow...seriously?!

How cool is social media? When shopping for a car, a car can find you! And how cool is the generosity of Jeff Kearnes and Sam Holloway that they'd try to make a deal for a guy they didn't know, but through a story in the local news?

And how cool is God who uses creative means and good-hearted people to provide yet again?

See you on the Twitters!
@morgancafe

p.s. Thanks to my other friends who immediately replied to Facebook and offered to help as well.

The Baby is Proof, wk1

2011-11-27T16:23:00.001-06:00

Will the month ramping into Christmas be:

A 4-week shopping trip

An intimate relationship?

How am I Doing, Really?

2011-11-26T12:33:00.001-06:00

It's now a week later after the attack on our apartment in Haiti by six armed gunmen. (Click here for the Oakbrook recap of it.) A natural question for people is, "How are you doing?"

Let me answer that by first taking you to my myopic view of the ordeal. I awaken to the siege in progress. I walked out of my bedroom door into a struggle just a couple feet away at our exterior door; bad men trying to rush our door. Chris Herr, Jason Braun, Bruce Donaldson, and Brad Downing were holding an unlatched door closed; unlatched because they had lodged a crowbar and other items in it.

Jason shouts, "Morg, get on the door!" From there Jason and Brad run to work on a plan B. They settled on plan C, Jason jumping out the window for help. Bruce hung in there by the door until he yells, "I'm shot!" He goes for a towel for the blood that's flowing from his arm.

The rest of the 25-30 minute assault it's Chris and I on the door. The entire time the Haitians trying to rush it. I turn my head towards Rex as he screams as he's shot. It's getting crazier and bloodier. More desperate. I'm scare to the depths of my soul. I have cotton-mouth to a ridiculous degree. I'm shouting prayers. Gunmen are shooting. Glass is breaking. There's no power; it's dark. I hear them reload. A round shoots through the door. Had I not moved seconds earlier it would have hit me in the chest.

I feel an intense heat on my left thigh. I say, "Shit. I'm shot! Shit, shit, shit. I'm shot!" I only know that because Rex told me later. I had no recollection of saying that. In my mind, I simply realized because of the heat and feeling the blood rolling down my leg, that I'd been shot. I never felt the slightest pinch of the bullet.

Chris and I stay on the door. I know I'm shot but my leg seems to still work. It only makes sense to stay with Chris on the door. If they get in it's over for sure. I'm not thinking; I'm simply reacting. At what feels like the utter desperation point, I start yelling as loudly as I can, repeatedly, "STOP SHOOTING AT US!"

Shortly thereafter there is no rush upon the door. Are they reloading? No. They have left.

At this point an unbelievable peace and assurance washed over me. Time slows down back into real time. I need shoes. I need help walking to get my wound tended to. Joel and I share a worship chorus. I ask Joel to help me walk because I may be standing only because of adrenaline; perhaps my leg will buckle as I settle down.

I am relieved. I am only shot. Nothing like the more terrifying thoughts I had moments ago. I get to the back bedroom. Several people are there in various stages of shock and emotion. It's clear that I need to stay calm and help calm others. I make a joke about not being able to drum tonight. More than bandages, I want a drink of water. Maggie almost drowns me.

I'm laying on the bed while DeeDee puts a towel on my bloody leg. I turn my head to the left and see my sister (ok, she is like a sister to me) Julie sobbing in front of Shelia. I call her over. I pull her head into my chest, put my hand on her head and say in a repeating whisper, "It's ok. We're all ok."

This may sound odd, but I've been ok ever since the gunmen left our apartment. That's not to say I haven't been sad, worried, troubled, mad and a host of other emotions, but I have had peace.

I think one of the questions that has nagged at my soul all of my adult life is, "Do I really have what it takes? If it hits the fan, will I freeze or be able to stand?" I've had bad dreams where I couldn't speak or move.

But it's as if in the calm of the gunmen's exit, the Holy Spirit said to me, "Let's not ask this question any more. You held the door. With a bullet wound, you stayed on the door then kept a cool head. You have what it takes."

To be incredibly clear, I count everything I was able to do as grace and provision from God. All of us were in the places God wanted us to be. I didn't make any decisions that night other than staying where Jason asked me to be.

At this point I consider myself blessed to be more whole than I was before this hideous ordeal. I ran how I was feeling about all this past one of our trauma counselors. He said that there is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that we often hear about. There is also something called Post Traumatic Growth, where we grow or learn something positive having been through trauma. That's how I feel. I feel more like the man God made me to be.

How am I doing? By the grace of God Almighty I am more whole than I have ever been---even with two holes in my leg ;-)

Much love to the tons of people who've expressed love, concern and said prayers on my (and our) behalf. Keep praying for healing for our team!

Love,

-Morgan

Oakbrook Staff Learns from Scott Pitcher

2011-11-07T19:48:00.001-06:00

From time to time our Oakbrook staff hits the road to sit under local leaders to try to learn and grow. Last Tuesday we were graciously hosted by local businessman and entrepreneur, Scott Pitcher.

In addition to being the driving force behind Kokomo having an attractive downtown, he's also been instrumental in Oakbrook's development over the years. Everything from wise advice to a young Mark Malin to offering us first shot at the land that is our current church home on Emerald Lake.

Here are just some of the things I took away:

"You gotta have a little bit of a mean streak and a lot of patience to survive in this business."

"Before I put together the front of the house for Cook McDoogals I had my secretary order every book Amazon had on Irish pubs..."

"Kokomo is now in a lateral market; when one business opens, another one closes...the housing market isn't coming back for a while. Now's a great time to buy."

"There's nothing new in architecture since the 3rd century."

"Everything cycles."

"I'm paid to be an optimist."

What do you have to do and what shouldn't you do for Fortune Management? "I have to set the quality standard on every job every day. The girls in the front office really run the company. I couldn't do what they do."

You've had lots of opportunities. You could have moved to other areas of the country. Why Kokomo?
"It's home...Kokomo is what we make it...it's a good city--it's well run compared to lots of cities..."

What do you think about the future of Kokomo? "Since Chrysler's putting a billion in I'd say we're good for another generation...Syndicate Sales and Haynes are doing well...I think we're going to be fine...but there are always challenges wherever you go..."

I love being around Scott Pitcher. He's a colorful guy who's like an iceberg: much more to him than meets the eye. He's a tough businessman, a generous soul, a creative genius, an infectious optimist and when the history of Kokomo is written, there will be a chapter on him.

Bibles for Haiti UPDATE

2011-11-07T11:01:00.004-06:00

How do you buy 48* Creole Bibles for Haiti at a cost of over $1,440? One or two at a time!

I published this post soliciting help purchasing Bibles on Oct 11 and they've been trickling in since. Mostly one Bible at a time. Sometimes two, a couple of times, four at a time.

They were purchased predominantly by people from Oakbrook but I know of at least one from a friend in West Virginia. They were purchased by 20-somethings to senior citizens and every age in between.

If people say that Facebook and Twitter are only noise, I have 48* reasons that say this isn't so. It was through social media that I was able to get the message out and how people responded.

We will take many of these with us this Saturday. I expect that we have enough Bibles to send some with subsequent trips heading down in the next few months.

It's important to note that there is a genuine desire to know God and His Word among the Haitian people. These will be highly appreciated and prized.

Cynics often ask, "Why take Bibles to starving people in Haiti?"

The answer is simple. We are trying to minister to them holistically--to their hunger for food and their hunger for God. Missions isn't base needs OR spiritual needs. It's base needs AND spiritual needs because people hunger for both. People need food to get through today and hope to want to rise tomorrow.

A huge heart-felt thanks to everyone who bought a Creole Bible!

One more request: If you bought one, pray for the future recipient of it...

Our team will be there Nov 12-21. If you'd like to pray for us:

Jason & Cole Braun

Didi Petty

Brad Downing

Bruce Donaldson

Chris & Linda Herr

Shelia Miller

Julie Baldini

(of the "Flying Baldinis" circus fame)

Maggie Duncan

Monty Sanders

Joel Larison

Rex Byers

Morgan Young

Grace: wk 1, "Chosen by Grace"

2011-10-22T21:37:00.003-05:00

Click here for a free PDF version of my talk.
(Click here to get free Acrobat Reader to view PDFs)

Tuesday an MP3 shows up here.
Or in iTunes search "Oakbrook Podcasts"

Will You Buy a Bible for Haiti?

2011-10-11T14:34:00.004-05:00

I'm heading to Haiti with a team from Oakbrook Church to share Christ with the rural people around the village of Koupon.

There is a huge shortage of Creole Bibles in Haiti. Many Haitians know how to read (and more are learning) and many have a serious desire for the Bible; but God's Word isn't available.

Would you buy a Creaole Bible so we can take it to Haiti in Nov? My hope is we would have have cases we can take down; some now and some with each team that goes.

Click here to buy one (black) for $25.75 +ship*. Or click here (red) if the other link says "sold out."

Simply drop it off at Oakbrook Church or have it shipped directly:

Oakbrook Church

3409 S. 200 W.

Kokomo IN 46902

Please help us share the hope and Word of God with the receptive people of Haiti.

Thanks in advance for your help. If you order one I'd love to know--think about posting on this blog if you do.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..."

Matthew 28:16-20

(*It is very hard to find any kind of Creole Bible. These are somewhat pricey but that is because the law of supply & demand. There is simply no supplier for an inexpensive Bible that Haitians can understand.)

Bible 101: Circumcision

2011-10-11T12:36:00.004-05:00

A question that comes up a lot when people start reading the Old Testament is, "What's the deal with circumcision? What does it mean?"

We see this in Genesis 17:9-14. Click here to read it, then come back. I'll wait.

(Thought you'd never get back. Not a speed reader? Me neither...)

Why did God require circumcision:

1. As a sign of obedience to Him in all matters.

2. As a sign of belonging to his covenant* people. (*God promised to be with the Jews--His chosen people.) Once circumcised, there was no turning back. A man would be identified as a Jew forever.

3. As a symbol of "cutting off" the old life of sin, purifying one's heart and dedicating oneself to God.
(credit: NLT Life Application Study Bible)

Now aren't we all relieved Jesus is the way of a new covenant? ;-)

C2 wk 4 RELATIONSHIPS

2011-10-03T11:27:00.000-05:00

c2 stand for "Christ Centered." We're in a series based on the natural movements that one goes through from the beginnings of faith to maturity in faith:

EXPLORING Christ > GROWING in Christ > CLOSE to Christ > Christ CENTERED

This is my teaching on Relationships, or as I hijacked it; CONNECTEDNESS.

Click here for a PDF transcript.
(Get FREE Acrobat Reader to view & download PDFs)

By Tues an MP3 will be posted here.
Or in iTunes search "Oakbrook Podcasts"

"If only there was an audio Bible narrated by Marcel the Shell." ;-)

Church Artists: The 2nd Service

2011-09-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

What seems like most of my 19 year tenure at our church, we've had two or more services. In recent years we've been at one service--and gotten used to it. Two weeks ago we're gladly back at two services.

My observation of the band last week, and dialoguing with guys I was playing with this week, reminded me that as a musician (or vocalist), the second service is harder.

This might not make sense, since intuitively you have one under your belt. You have the confidence that you and the rest of the crew can pull it off. This is deceptive.

It's harder for a number of reasons:

1. You're talking and hanging out with friends in between services. Your mind is elsewhere.
2. Your adrenaline is down--you don't have that natural edge you had in the first service.
3. Emotionally, you've done it before; it's not fresh; doesn't feel spontaneous.

Playing well in the second service requires something we didn't have to conjure up for the first service that we don't talk about in music rehearsals: discipline.

The second performance requires us to be more disciplined mentally. It's tougher in the space between our ears. And as musicians can be an emotional lot, this feels odd. We're having to think and focus more on something we'd rather feel more spontaneously.

You might say that the uncertainty of never having performed this set, fuels us in the 1st service. But it's our mental focus that fuels the 2nd service.

Musicians want to feel music similarly to the way we all want to feel love. And it actually works very much the same.

When we start dating someone (with whom we're compatible), just being with them fuels our feelings of attraction. The situation of newly dating seems to provide its own fuel. That's the first service.

But after enough time passes, emotional love doesn't exist without the discipline of loving actions. We're no longer new to each other--the situation no longer fuels us quite like it used to. So we choose loving actions that result in loving emotions--that's how post-courtship love works. That's the second service.

What music teams are doing in churches is art. And art requires discipline. Art without discipline isn't very good art, really. So I encourage us as church arts teams to grow in the discipline of playing second services even better than the first.

And please don't get me wrong--I am not mentally robotically playing the second service. That would be hideous. That wouldn't be art.

I am trying to be at least as emotionally vested in the second service as I was the first--and perhaps more. I'm trying to nail it technically and authentically exude it emotionally. This is difficult. I didn't learn to do it overnight. And that my friends is what makes it art...

Peace

Say Something Before You Do Something

2011-09-10T10:27:00.001-05:00

In this point in history we are a very vocal people. That is, on social media and to our friends. We're vocal in all the easiest of situations.

But if there's something or someone we don't like; if there's something we don't care for, we quietly, secretly back away. We back away from friends, family, church, restaurants, websites...without a word to those involved.

Last year we had what I thought was a raw deal in terms of a cut-and-dried auto insurance claim. It had been bugging me. I was thinking about leaving our long-time agent. So I went to his office and politely, respectfully talked to him about it like a human. I told him my thoughts and why I was entertaining leaving.

We tried to help each other better understand each other. I talked with him like a man, not an agent. And he talked with me like man, not a customer. I'm probably more likely to stay with him after that. But I'm not 100%. If I do leave his agency, he will know why.

The other day I renewed one of my website domain names. The website was horrible. It was like a visual representation of an army of Billy Maze's yelling at me. I emailed the company. I respectfully told them I didn't appreciate their strategy and that they could do better; that their web strategy will make me reconsider using them in the future.

Those examples were pretty benign: insurance and a website. But what about the local restaurant that goes out of business because no one tells the manager/owner what the product or service was like?

What about the spouse that you stop communicating with because you don't have the nerve to engage them about______________?

What about the friend that's just easier to stop contacting because of ________________?

We think negatively: believing that our words will not result in any change, and so we keep quiet. But in reality our words might initiate change or understanding.

Then of course, if we withhold our words, it's a 100% certainty that things will continue on like they always have.

We're talking about integrity. Believing the best in someone or an organization. Believing that someone might be open to our words. Believing that the other party does not want to let us down or worse.

Holding back our words will certainly add no value to that person or organization.

Holding back our words will simply fester and annoy us while the other party goes blindly and obliviously on their (sometimes errant) way.

In the Bible there is this concept that we all belong to each other. This wise truth makes it harder for me to keep from saying something to people or organizations. Even if that person or organization isn't Christian, isn't it better for everyone if I treat them this way?

The ways of complaining, whining, ranting to uninvolved parties is easy. Integrity--finding respectful ways to appropriately speak into people and organizations is more challenging. And it is the path that potentially makes both parties better. Integrity is doing the right thing even if the other party doesn't.

Not saying something because you don't think the other party will respond in kind, is dysfunction.

Our culture needs more integrity. Integrity rises and falls on all of my interactions and all of yours--from simple things like insurance to momentous things like marriages.

We all belong to each other.
Respectfully say something before doing something.
We can all get better; with each other's help.

Peace.

Learning from Younger People to...

2011-09-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

1. Be Connected
Social media is so much than more noise in my life. It's the potential for real time connections, reconnecting and connecting with people I'd never have the chance to before.

Authors like Mark Batterson, Shannon O'Dell, Rob Bell, Donald Miller, Andy Stanley & Craig Groeschel are speaking every day, and I listen in on Twitter.

The other morning I had a real time 3-way Twitter conversation on my phone with two friends: one in Noblesville and the other in Nashville.

And because life's too serious, I follow Tweets from Jim Gaffigan, The Church Curmudgeon & my son ;-)

2. Be Concise
Now that every baby boomer is on Facebook it's full of bloated posts & comments that look more like essays. Twitter forces me to pare it down. What am I really saying? How do I say it in 140 characters? That's a healthy discipline. I've noticed it's reshaping how I think as well--thinking in more concise thoughts--getting down to the issue.

3. Be Open
Lately I've noticed how much I've heard people my age proudly proclaim, "Ah, I have email and texting. I don't need Facebook or that Tweet thing!"

Let me paraphrase that, "I'm old and don't care what anyone else is doing. I don't need to keep up with the times. I don't need to learn new technology or ways of staying in touch with people."

Imagine someone saying as the telephone was coming in, "Well who needs some clanging noise-maker in their house when I can go down to the telegraph office and get it in writing?"

4. Be Patient
It's so easy at this age to want to jump in, redirect, show them the "right" way. (As if I'm always right ;-)
It's harder to be patient and gracious. It's easy to butt in. They remind me how much I wanted to do it myself at that age.

This is challenging. I want to add advice appropriately, sparingly, encouragingly. I also want them to feel valued and built up. I want young people to smile when I'm headed their direction; not annoyed, "Great, here comes Morgan again..." (Insert eye roll.)

5. Be Alive
Younger people model excitement and happiness like no one else. The things they love in this life ooze out of them. They smile and laugh a lot. They're passionate.

What a noble, endearing and attractive quality. And as I observe them, I realize the more decades I live, the more likely that stuff nu-noticeably leaks out of me, a drop at a time. Resenting this trait will make me old before my time. Aspiring to be more like them in this, has the opposite effect.

************

Speak Up
I'm blessed to have so many younger people in my life. I'm not just living a segregated life of people my own age. There are so many integrity-filled and talented younger people I have the privilege to know, work and serve with.

To all the younger people in my relational world, I ask that you would speak into my life when you see something that I need to grow in. I want to be open. I want to be approachable. I want to be connected with you. I want us to learn from each other and have fun in the process.

Andy Stanley; Recovery Road pt 1

2011-09-01T10:48:00.001-05:00

This talk is about the road to recovery in America. I've yet to hear anyone speak so profoundly and simply about it. This is a bright bright spot in Christendom. Please make the time to watch it.

ReWork ReView

2011-08-31T10:03:00.004-05:00

It's a new day. Our world, and specifically our working world, is different. Who can deny it?

As social media, marketing, and cultural guru Seth Godin preaches, "We're in the post industrial age." Which means we've left the age that was almost single-handedly defined by Henry Ford: Americans mass producing things for Americans and the world.

We've not just left the age of mass production, but also the age of rigidly defined processes and hierarchies. The industrial age was defined by things like boxes, rules, authorities and permission. This new age? Not so much.

As I've 100% agreed with this view, that we're in a new age in America; I've also wondered, "What does that look like? What specifically defines the post industrial age workplace? What is it and how do we function?"

ReWork has answered those questions!

This book has not only put tangibility to this new age, but even the form of the book is a reflection of it. Out of 271 pages, the chapters (lack of better word) are a mere 1-3 pages. The ideas: simple, concise, applicable.

Who is it for? Everyone. People who care about their career. Business owners. People wanting to start a business. College students. Church leaders. Non-profit people. People who want to get better. People who want to grow with the times.

Some of my personal underlines:

"Whenever you can, swap 'Let's think about it' for 'Let's decide on it'...Don't wait for the perfect solution. Decide and move forward." 77

"Delegators are dead...everyone's got to be productive. No one can be above the work." 218

"Build an audience (v customers)...an audience returns often--on its own--to see what you have to say." 170

"Make tiny decisions...the best way to achieve those big things is one tiny decision at a time." 130

"Interruption is the enemy of productivity...so get in the alone zone. Long stretches of alone time when you're most productive." 104

"Meetings are toxic...so
1. Set a timer. When it rings, meeting's over. Period.
2. Invite as few people as possible.
3. Always have a clear agenda.
4. Begin with a specific problem." 108

"Hire the best writer...clear writing is a sign of clear thinking...they makes things easy to understand. They can put themselves in someone else's shoes. They know what to omit...writing is today's currency for good ideas." 222

"Send people home at 5...you don't need more hours; you need better hours." 258

"They're not thirteen. When you treat people like children, you get children's work...when everything needs approval, you create a culture of nonthinkers." 255

Check it out.

I Have Issues

2011-08-22T11:39:00.003-05:00

One of the thing we do well in our culture is ruin words: Gay, bitch, cock, balls.

The Flintsones had a gay ol' time.
Our greyhound is a bitch and a great one at that.
The gun isn't automatic, you have to cock it.
Let's pickup the dodge balls, people.

Odds are that's not how you interpreted those words in the opening sentence.

And let's not leave out words like: Muslim, conservative, liberal and Christian.

These words used to be benign adjectives; descriptors. Words that helped define a picture. Now, to large groups of people, each of these is a very negative adjective. Each paints a dark picture.

Just as ball can be the toy of an innocent toddler and an anatomical noun (whew!), so too Muslim can be a person of faith or someone with terrorist ties.

For me, I'm vexed by the word Christian. Some of my best friends are Christians. Some of the people that most irritate me are also Christians. Oh yeah, I'm a pastor. Is this a problem?

This dynamic seems to ebb and flow in my life. Probably because in the first 20 years of my life the thing that most repelled me from faith was the "faithful." God seemed good. The "godly," not so much.

I'm in that mode again. Two weeks ago I attended the Global Leadership Summit, a very Christian event. And it rocked my soul, challenged my mind, strengthened relationships, revealed the Holy Spirit of God and made me so proud to be thrown into the pot with the Christian label on the outside.

Then a week later my Christian brethren (why do only Christians have brethren?) threw a great Christian friend of mine under the bus for blogging in a way that offended them.

My inner dialogue went something like this:

"&%$# Christians! Glad we can count on our people to beat up our own people. Where's the flippin' grace we LOVE to sing and preach about, peckers?! Maybe I should get out of the game...maybe I could have these same beliefs and only renounce my affiliation with Christians?..." Seriously. (This is called "I Have Issues" for a reason.)

Of all the things I have belonged to in my 4+ decades of life, Christianity is the only one I have been cautious about owning up to 100% of the time. I never hesitated to tell people what school I went to, what activities I was into, what music I was into etc. But in owning my Christianity...sometimes I play it like a hand in a poker game.

And it's funny, I'm never second guessing who God is or what He calls us too. But some days the word Christian feels like the word ______(your choice: conservative / liberal) does to you.

I hate this. I feel bad. I feel bad in the sense that as a member of Christianity I have had a part in ruining the word Christian by what I've done or not done in front of family, friends or people I don't even know.

And too, I have this hideous tendency to have the most hate for things in others that exist in me.

The thing is, if we're judging by externals, I'm mostly kind of rockin' the Christian thing. But in the less public parts of me, some moments, not so much.

So maybe my condemnation for the people who are clearly publicly botching the word Christian is my way of dysfunctionally yelling at myself for those unchristian thoughts and struggles that rear their ugly heads in my life.

Oh yeah, reared is also a ruined word. Seriously, stop snickering.

My name is Morgan Young and I have issues. And I'm trying to rock the Christian label inside and out. What say we rebuild the word Christian, one thought and one action at a time?

Now I gotta go let my bitch out...

We're So Full of Piss and Vinegar

2011-08-18T08:15:00.003-05:00

Christians, I mean. Probably some are outraged at the title of this post. "How inappropriate for a pastor to use the 'p' word in a public forum!" Even though we'll all hear far worse words than that tonight on TV and not bat an eye.

As much as I love the internet and all it makes possible to me, it also serves up an unloving and quick-to-judge side of us Christians.

This writing is fresh off yesterday's post on worship by Tim Stevens (original post, followup post). And before that, it was the firestorm of anger toward Rob Bell.

Here's the response to Tim in a nutshell: "How could you? You're immature. You're embarrassing. You annoy me. You're elitist. Self-absorbed. I've lost all respect for you. Quit being so self-serving, I'd never go to your church..."

(To be fair, several posters thanked him for his transparency and honest sharing in the spirit of helping us all get better and for saying what they'd wanted to say.)

Sadly we Christians respond just like the culture does these days. If people think differently than we do, we write them off personally. Jab their character and throw stones.

In terms of Tim and Rob it's as if their body of work up to that point didn't matter; like they're as good as their last soundbite.

I think a better way to love is to ask questions. A better way to love may be to seek first to understand (S. Covey), rather than condemn. It looks like this:

"Tim, it reads to me like you're tearing people down, being sarcastic...was that your intent or am I misunderstanding?"

"What was your purpose in writing that--I think I missed the point--I'm confused by it. Can you help me understand?"

Those are better lead ins, I think. These questions presume the best about a man who's served God in incredible ways for decades.

I'm talking about civility. Assuming the best about someone with different opinions. Respecting someone simply because everyone has value. Civility is hugely missing in our country right now.

I believe civility ought to be thriving amongst God's people. I remember reading somewhere about people outside the faith knowing Christians by how much they loved each other.

And why I'm here...I don't understand the general defensive and argumentative nature about the topic of worship among Christians in social media. At the heart of worship is this idea of unblemished lambs; bringing something excellent.

As far as I can tell, when talking about a skill set like musical worship, pursuing excellence and getting better requires discussions, feedback, coaching and evaluating.

Maybe this subject is a powder keg because we musicians are touchy, sensitive and opinionated as hell instead of being totally surrendered to heaven. (That was just for me. I'm a musician and I struggle.)

This world is watching us more than ever, because what we say isn't hearsay anymore. It's written word for word on Facebook and Twitter. And our piss and vinegar interactions enable would be Christians to look in and say,

"Eh, it looks as jacked up as political circles to me--I don't need more of that crap in my life."

We have the Love of the world inside us. Let's let Him out--especially when we don't agree with someone or understand where they're coming from.

Love does indeed make all the difference.

Shalom

Global Leadership Summit Day 2

2011-08-15T10:50:00.005-05:00

Mama Maggie Gobran
This extraordinary woman killed me before she spoke a word. Her presence...her facial expression...humility...spirit...as people welcomed her with applause. It was simply other. I've never experienced anything like it. I have no words worthy to capture it. Her presence eclipsed her words like nothing I've ever sensed.

"The silence is the secret...the kingdom lies within..."

"Silence your body to listen to your words.
Silence your tongue to listen to your thoughts.
Silence your thoughts to listen to your beating heart.
Silence your heart to listen to your spirit.
Silence your spirit to listen to His Spirit."

"In silence we leave many to be with the One."

Michelle Rhee
"It wasn't just about closing 23 schools, it was about changing the culture."

"Teachers rated high while kids were falling behind was a problem."

"I'd rather deal with anger than apathy."

"If you turn your attention to who's yelling the loudest, you may turn your back on who needs you the most."

"I'm an aspiring Christian." ;-)

Dr. Henry Cloud
"God called you to be a steward over a vision--He's called you to change or affect something."

"When your maturity in one area is not strong enough, add an external structure."

Wise people: When truth comes to them, they adjust. They like feedback, it makes them happy. So talk to them, resource them, coach them, keep them challenged.

Fools: When truth comes to them, they adjust the truth. Excuses, minimize problems,don't own things, shoot the messenger. Do not like feedback.

So stop talking to them. Give them limits. Ask, "How can I talk with you so this will make a difference?...what will we do if I do what you want but nothing changes?"

Fools can change:
1. Limit exposure
2. Clear consequences
3. Give them a choice
4. Follow thru

Evil people: Destruction in their hearts; want to inflict pain. "reject a divisive person after a 2nd warning." Be prepared for lawyers, guns and money. (just for fun)

John Dickson
5 reasons to cultivate humility:

1. It's common sense
2. It's beautiful
3. It's generative (we learn new things b/c of it)
4. It's persuasive "The most persuasive person in the world is the one who has our best interest in mind."
5. It's inspiring

"We don't need a Christian nation to win a nation for Christ."

(In response to meeting U2 as impressionable young musicians) "Because they acted like us we believed we could be like them."

The crucifixion changed how people perceived humility. It was a negative trait in the world up to that point. Philippians 2:3-8 was the first text in human history to connect humility with greatness.

Pat Lencioni
(Funniest man with deep insights I've ever experienced.)

"People need reminded more than instructed."

"Vulnerability is powerful." His new book Getting Naked.

3 Fears of Vulnerability:

1. Fear of losing business (rejection)
"Enter the danger."
(Idea of improv group taking the most "out there" idea from the audience.)
Don't avoid difficult situations and things you don't know the answer to.
"Speak the kind truth." People are hungry for people who care enough to do this.

2. Fear of being embarrassed
"Ask dumb questions."
"Celebrate mistakes."
(Story of lady who farted in conference room but didn't acknowledge it--oh my.)

3. Fear of feeling inferior
"Do the menial things...serve people...be so interested in people."
(Story of his agent wearing "Little Miss Matched" socks.)

"We're called to be vulnerable by the One who never had to be."

Erwin McManus
"There's nothing new under the sun is false!...After that was written, the virgin birth was new, parting Red Sea was new, crucifixion, resurrection etc."

"Outside of God, there's nothing new under the sun. Inside of God, there's no limit to what can be new!"

"There's never been an ordinary baby born on this planet, but too many of us die ordinary."

"The church needs to be the nurturer of the human spirit."

"People are going to die with dreams still in their souls."

"We (Christians) used to be the best poets in the world."

"Whoever tells the best story, shapes the culture."

"It's not hard to lead people to Jesus when you tell them a story they can see themselves in."

Global Leadership Summit Day 1

2011-08-15T10:04:00.005-05:00

The Summit is one of the highlights of my year. I so wish everyone who follows Christ would attend. No, that's too narrow. Add to that, "And everyone who cares about this world." That's better.

It's like getting a drink of high octane truth and revelation from a fire hydrant. It's rocket fuel for the soul coming at you at mach 2. It can change our lives and those with whom we interact. Here are some sound bytes (forgive my paraphrases & misquotes.)

Bill Hybels
"We do our best work between 'appropriately challenged' and 'dangerously challenged.'"

"We have to field and develop fantastic people in a fantastic ministry to serve a fantastic God."

"Are you naming, facing and solving the problems that exist in your organization?"

"Can you some up what you're about as a church in 5 words?"
("Love. Evil. Rescue. Choice. Restore.")

"What if your next 5 years were your best 5 years?"

Len Schlesinger

"Data says that everything we assume about entrepreneurs is not true:
They don't tend to love risk and have a clear vision."

"We are all entrepreneurs, just too few get to practice it."

"The idea that we can deal with things sequentially is false."

"Historical results do not predict the future. So if you can't predict the future, create it!"

"To be an entrepreneur, imagine you're Indiana Jones having fallen down a pitch black hole. Take small steps. Use whatever you have. Build on what you find."

"Stop worrying about what you want to do. Think about what you want to do next."

Honorable Cory A. Booker
"We are here because of other people's incredible vision and courage...let us stand because people stood for us."

"Criticizing is just spitting into the wind...be the change you want to see...if it's meant to be it's up to me."

Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil
Acts 1:8 "Without a catalyst we stay stuck in Jerusalem."

"If you want to break thru:
1. Pray for a divine mandate,
2. Name your catalytic events,
3. Mobilize people to go!"

"Don't just go and help, go and learn."

"An educational degree means nothing unless it's relevant to people around you."

Seth Godin
My paraphrase of hisgeneral concept: the industrial revolution is over. It shaped our culture (and churches) up to this point. It's a new age. We have to live differently.

"The new means of production is a laptop."

"In this new age we need to be artists."

"Quit bowling! (it's boring and the goal is perfection)"

"We teach people to wait to be picked. Pick yourself!"

"If failure is not an option, then neither is success."

"Even though the tide is out doesn't mean the ocean has less water in it."

"Give gifts, not favors."

"The world is begging you to lead."

Steven Furtick 2 Kings 3:9-20
"The difference between a daydream and audacious faith is action."

"If your vision isn't intimidating to you, it's probably insulting to God."

"To see the world filled with water, dig some ditches."

"Life can beat the audacity out of you...God can put it back in you."

"We compare our 'behind the scenes' to everyone else's 'highlight reels.'"

Bill Hybels addresses why CEO & Founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz couldnt make it. Click here to watch video. Click here to positively contact Starbucks.

6 Tips to Becoming a Great Drummer

2011-08-06T09:38:00.003-05:00

Part 1: Humility

Part 2: Time from Your Toes

Part 3: I Must Decrease

Part 4: Volumes, not Volume

Part 5: Play the Spaces

Part 6: Pull 'em Out; Don't Beat 'em In

Drummers Only pt 6: Pull 'em Out; Don't Beat 'em In

2011-07-26T21:25:00.005-05:00

Great drummers never beat a drum; they play a drum. This final installment is about pulling the notes out of a drum, not beating them into it.

This is important because how you hit the drum has everything to do with your drum sound. Pull the note out of the drum and it will have great tone and will sing. Play into the drum and it will be choked and have less tone. (This definitely applies to the bass drum too--big time!)

If you don't understand what I'm talking about yet, don't worry. It's easier at this point for me to show you an exercise that will clearly illustrate this concept.

The exercise is called "da-da mommas." You can do this with your hands on a table right now if you don't have sticks handy.

Play two notes with your right hand, play the first very soft and seriously accent (play louder) the second note. "da-DA!"

Did you see your hand (or stick) jump off the table (head) on the second note because you accented it?

Do it again. Accenting the second note makes you pull that note out of the head; you're literally pulling the stick (or hand) back. Be sure to keep the first note soft and the second VERY LOUD.

Try to do this with your wrist more than your forearm.

Now do the same with the left hand and alternate between hands. Do this very slowly at first:

right RIGHT, left LEFT, da-DA, momMA Over time slowly speed up.

THAT is how you strike a drum properly! Pulling the note OUT of the drum or cymbal.

Have you ever dented a drum head? Seen dimples in a drum head? Guess what---you cannot dent a drum head when you're properly pulling the notes out of the head.

When I was younger I tried. I knew I was changing the head anyway so I tried to annihilate it. I couldn't get one dent in it hitting it as hard as I could while striking it properly.

Play into a head with a lot of force? Dent city.

If you were to be at eye level with the top of my snare drum watching me play, you would probably swear that my sticks don't even touch the drum. It would look like I'm playing about an inch off the head.

Why is this important?

1. The drum will always have better tone when struck properly.

2. You will develop faster hands. Not kidding. If you start that da-da momma exercise slow and slowly build up your speed until you can play a da-da momma drum roll, you will have some serious chops!

My ability to play fast and play doubles like a fiend come from working da-da mommas like crazy when I was younger. Speed comes by mastering the control of pulling the sticks off the head, not pressing them into it.

3. You will have more control. I tune my toms very loosely. But because of working da-da mommas so much, I can play doubles or rolls over my very loose tom heads. Why? I'm not counting on the head bouncing the stick back at me. I'm literally pulling each note out of the drum.

It's never too late to develop great technique--working da-da mommas will get you there!

Great drummers pull the notes out of a drum. They don't pound the notes into it.
Great drummers play the spaces.
Great drummers play with volumes, not volume.
Great drummer realize they must decrease in their monitor mix.
Great drummers keep time from their feet up.
Great drummers are humble, putting the band and song before themselves.

Thanks for reading. Now lets elevate the gifts we've been given by developing them and making even better music!

Drummers Only pt 5: Play the Spaces

2011-07-25T18:16:00.004-05:00

I realize the further I get into these articles, the more Zen-like this drumming thing becomes.

This is about when to put in the tasty fills and the stuff beyond just keeping time. In essence, play that stuff in the spaces left by vocalists and other musicians.

I said in pt 3 that playing music is a conversation with instruments. So in that light, don't interrupt when someone else is talking.

Here's one example of how this works. In most music we're playing 8 bar phrases. At the end of most 8 bar (or measure) phrases, drummers often add a little fill, a little something that says, "That's the end of that phrase, let's go on to another."

(NOTE: whether you read music or not, you have to know the phrasing of the song. At the end of each phrase we cue the band that we're done with this and moving onto something else. We don't play fills for the sake of fills. It's our way of saying, "Here comes the bridge." Or, "We're going to get soft/loud now." A fill is a way we conduct the band from the drum chair.)

If I'm playing with vocalists, I'll often wait and listen to make sure they've left me a space to put that fill in. Or I may even put a tasty snare or tom variation in the middle of a phrase IF there's a vocal space there. Again, I don't just plop a fill in at the end of every phrase--I want to do it in the space at the end of a phrase if I can.

I try to think about a song as a give and take between instruments and vocals. Sure, there are times when we're playing the same rhythm at the same time. But when a vocalist or lead instrument is shining, I try to support him/her and try not to "step on" what they are saying.

I think there is a lot we drummers can do by paying close attention to the vocal lines. I'll sometimes try to stab accents with them to give the song more punch and make them feel shored up and supported. Likewise, when they leave a space, I'll try to use that opportunity to add something interesting and fitting to the song.

At Oakbrook Church, Jlee often does rhythmic add libs at the end of phrases. Whenever he's leading worship, I'm really listening to see if there's something he's doing that I can mimic on the kit. If I can hit his add libs, the band sounds more like we've been playing that song forever instead of just Thursday night and Sun. morning.

This is about listening to phrases and listening to how lead instruments are playing through them. Support them rhythmically when you can, and wait for the opportunities to play the spaces they leave open.

Great drummers play the spaces. (Told you it was Zen-like.)

Coming up: Pt 6 Pull the Notes Out; Don't Beat them In (last one?...)

Drummers Only pt 4: "Volumes, not Volume"

2011-07-23T16:33:00.006-05:00

If we're not careful, the drums can be the most non-musical instrument in the band. Everyone else has things to work with like pitch, notes, melody, harmony, counter-melody etc.

What do we have? Timing (pt 2) and volume. This post is about playing with dynamics, or more than one volume.

Every drummer is good at playing loud. It's in our divine nature. I've never had to teach anyone to play loud. One might paraphrase this post, "The Zen of Drumming," because without soft there is no loud. Loud is only relative to what came before it. (Hmmmm, deeeep thoughts.)

Contrast is what commands our attention and makes impact. The cool swimming pool never feels better than on a 96 degree day. The Red Robin burger never tastes better than when you are legitimately hungry. Ice cream tastes best after a spicy Mexican dish. Loud has more impact after you've played softly.

Think of it this way. Any schmoe who can play a beat can play loud. Anyone. Do you want to be a dime-a-dozen drummer? Do you want your loud rock-god-anthem choruses to be mediocre? No, you don't. Read on musical drummer.

The truth is our louds stand out, have impact, blow people's hair back, when we've played softer elsewhere in the song--when we've worked up to it.

Studio recordings can lead us astray on this point. Why? Because they can record the drummer playing a nice loud snare sound and then turn it down in the mix. We hear that sound and try to copy it, but it's not copyable--unless we're in a studio too. Playing live is different. Don't worry about it--that same recorded drummer sounds differently live too.

When we choose to play the verses softer, the band will follow suit--the whole band will play with more dynamics and the whole ensemble will be more musical. The drummer wins, the band wins, the song wins, and the audience wins. Beautiful!

Caution: there's nothing worse than a drummer playing softly with loose mushy time and no intensity. (More zen coming up here.) Learn to play soft, but with intensity.

That's really vague, I know, but it also happens to be true. It's like momentum in sports; you can't define it but you know it when you see it. I can't tell you how to have intensity but I can tell when a drummer does not have it.

(Just to be clear, intensity has nothing to do with volume. And for the record, one of the hardest things to do as a drummer is playing quietly, in time, with intensity.)

For me playing soft with intensity means I'm going to rhythmically nail every 8th note on the hats and stick every kick drum precisely where it needs to be. And I don't care who in the band wants to rush because I'm playing soft--I ain't budging!

That's how I go after intensity when I'm playing soft, anyhow. All I know is that a drummer needs intensity to play soft well.

Do you want your loud choruses to rock your world?
Do you want to be known as a musical drummer?
Learn to play everything from very quiet to very loud in strict time and with intensity.

Some practical guidelines:

Way back when people read musical charts there were these great little things called dynamic markings:

pp = very soft (pianissimo)
p = soft (piano)
mf = medium loud (mezzo forte [met-zo for-tay])
f = loud (forte)
ff = very loud (fortissimo)
fff = school of rock loud (fortississimo)

When I'm charting songs for myself I always use these markings. Even when I'm not using a chart, I bet I play 3-4 dynamic volumes in a given song. Why? I want to serve the band well. I want the band to be as musical and as expressive as possible. Don't you?

To be a great drummer, be known as a drummer who has many different volumes, not just one volume--volumes, not volume.

Coming up: Pt 5 "Play the Spaces"

Drummers Only pt 3: "I Must Decrease"

2011-07-23T15:53:00.005-05:00

I got this tip years ago from an article with famed bassist Lee Sklar. Apart from his funny name and looks, he's one of the most recorded and toured musicians of the modern era. In this instance he spoke of how his bass was always the lowest thing in his mix. Why? So he could hear everyone else.

More and more drummers (as are other musicians) are using some kind of in ear or headphone monitor mix. This is great for at least 2 reasons: a) getting a monitor loud enough for a drummer to hear makes it even worse on a drummer's ears. b) it keeps the stage volume down for the front of house mix.

Since I share a drum chair with several drummers, one thing I notice when it's my turn to drum is how loud the drums are in the headphone mix. Hence today's post:

My drums in my mix must decrease.

Put the drums in the mix to the point you can hear them and loud enough you're not overplaying them (hitting them harder than needed). Your drums should sit LOW in the mix. You should hear lead vocals/instruments and bass player very clearly--louder than you.

Since our goal is to make the overall sound of the band better, we need to be able to hear what everyone else is playing. A humble drummer (pt 1) needs to hear everyone else more than his/her self.

If you can't get over how amazing your drums sound in the mix, and you just can't get enough, then turn yourself up on your own practice time. When we're playing with the band, our focus needs to be the greater good of the band. "I pledge allegiance to the band." Thank you for that, Jack Black.

Playing music is a conversation with instruments. In a conversation we have to hear what other people are saying so that when we chime in, it makes sense. What others are playing dictates the pattern and feel I'm going to lay down. I can't serve them if I can't hear what they're playing.

To listen well to the musical conversation and best serve the song and the band, I must decrease in my monitor mix. Simple.

Coming up: Pt 4 "Volumes, not Volume."

Drummers Only pt 2: Time from Your Toes

2011-07-23T09:22:00.003-05:00

This tip profoundly changed the way I conceptualize and execute keeping time when playing a kit. I think I first read about this in a Modern Drummer article with/by Steve Smith many years ago. Derek W. if you're reading, it may be in that musty stack of MD mags I gave you last year ;-)

Time from Your Toes
Drummers usually keep time with their hands. Right handed drummers primarily with their right hand. In other words, of the 4 appendages a drummer plays with (exception Rick Allen), our dominant focus is our hands. And we tend to keep time, in our minds and physically, with the sticks. In essence, our feet follow the lead of our hands.

In this article I encourage you to flip that: Keep time with your feet. Or another way to say it, play from your "feet up."

Thinking about keeping time with your kick drum and hi-hat will "shore up" those looser appendages. Your foot playing will become more solid. As a result, your overall playing will improve. Not to mention that in any mic'd-up rock situation, the kick is the most dominant part of the kit. Loose feet = loose grove. Tight feet = tight groove.

You probably don't think about it, but it's likely your hands and feet are playing slightly different time. Unless you've worked on it a lot, your right foot is developmentally behind your hands. Why? Because drummers are always working on having fast hands.

As I've been mulling over this post, John Bonham came to mind. Think about a a Led Zep song like "All My Love." Bonham seems to drive his time with his kick drum. And his overall time-keeping always sounds rock-solid.

Here's an applicable example of "feet up" playing. When you're playing a song and a fill in bar 8 is coming up, what do you think about? Your hands. You think about what you're going to play between the snare and toms. Your kick drum is an afterthought.

Keeping time with your feet will change how you think about and play fills; which is great, because our timing tends to suck when we play fills.

Also by thinking of your feet more and incorporating them into a fill, will make for more interesting and impacting fills. Now speaking of timing...

The biggest problem among drummers is we keep bad time. This is our #1 problem.

Ladies and gentlemen, this has got to stop. We have no chords or scales to memorize, no transposing to do. So let's get serious about this.

If you don't have a metronome you can listen to with ear phones, get one. Turn it on and start playing--from your feet up.

Once you start feeling comfortable with it, slow it down. It just got harder. Why? It takes more control to play slow. Your feet (and hands) have to be more precise when the tempo is slow. Playing really slow tempos, in rock-solid time, is a phenomenal exercise!

Work that metronome from super slow to fast and everything in between. I promise you, the first time you put the metronome on, you'll swear it's not keeping steady tempo. Trust me, the error isn't with the metronome.

So, conceptually and physically, play from your feet up. It will help lock all 4 of your appendages into the same groove, which will make your time more solid, which will help you better serve the song and the band.

Coming up: Pt 3: "I must Decrease" (it's prob not what you think it is)

Drummers Only pt 1: Humility

2011-07-22T10:07:00.006-05:00

I've been beating on things for forty+ years. Took my first lesson in '73. Studied briefly with Dr. Mueller at Ball State. I play anything from rudimental marching snare, jazz, pop, rock, country, worship music, blues etc., sight read a chart or sit in and play by ear.

I recently had the honor of sitting down with a young 20-something drummer looking for feedback and advice. In our conversation I realized there are some foundational truths that relate to all drummers. This is a 6-part series on the essentials of successful drumming for all musical styles.

HUMILITY: Putting others first.

This may be the most difficult principle of drumming. Why? Because we become drummers to gain attention, take the stage and gain accolade. This is what's best about my drumming and at the same time, most difficult.

This is about putting the good of the song and the group ahead of yourself. As a drummer, there are always licks, patterns and fills that I want to play. That's the wrong focus.

The song and the group, since they're more important than me, determine what I should play. Sometimes a song demands rhythmic simplicity. That means I swallow my pride and lay down the most simple, solid musical groove I can. Great chops over-used in the wrong song is the wrong part.

Sometimes I'm playing with a band that has a weaker rhythm section; or perhaps you have vocalists that aren't in time. That scenario demands that I simplify what I play so that the other members of the band can more easily lock into the groove. If a vocalist, bass player or keyboardist is loose rhythmically, I will always simplify my part to better serve them.

In a rehearsal situation I may talk to the players who aren't keeping good time. I strive to be kind. I usually broach it in the form of a question, "Did you know you slowed down going into the bridge?" I will try to do it discretely so others can't hear. If I do this well, they'll usually ask me later, "Was that better?" When it's done well, every healthy person loves feedback.

On the other side of things, if I'm doing a prog rock, The Who or Dave Matthews Band tune with a solid crew, heck yeah, I'll tear it up with some appropriate wicked chops. But again, only as that flashy style fits the song and serves the group as a whole.

The goal of a great drummer is to make the band better. If people compliment me without complementing the band, that's a lose. If your goal is to be noticed as a great drummer, you'll never be a great drummer. Great drumming lifts the level of the whole ensemble.

Being humble doesn't mean you never have the spotlight or are noticed. It means you have the spotlight and are noticed IF it's appropriate to the song, the gig and serves the group.

Humility: Put others first. Let the tune and the group determine what you play. That's the path to great drumming.

Coming up: Pt 2... "Time from Your Toes"

Videos of me playing live.

Oakbrook at the Movies "INCEPTION"

2011-07-17T11:51:00.004-05:00

Great times doing 3 in a row of this summer series. This was my 100th talk @ Oakbrook; God is good! Look for Mark to close it out with "Tron" and "Hoosiers" in the coming weeks.

Message text in PDF click here.

Checkout YouVersion Bible app click here.

I forgot to say that YouVersion will actually READ THE TEXT TO YOU! Does it get any easier? I'm really enjoying the reading plan "The Essential Jesus."

Lukas Nelson & Fireworks @ Foster Park

2011-07-10T13:32:00.003-05:00

Had a GREAT time Friday night at Foster Park taking on one of Kokomo's free concerts at the new arts pavilion. Lukas Nelson is the son of famed Willie Nelson.

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real did a great job of Willie covers to their originals. It's blues+rock+county+Willie+60s = fresh good jams! Really enjoyed them.

The rained out fireworks from the prior week followed the show so by the time the concert was over there were more people in that grassy lawn than I've ever seen before--huge crowd!

And the fireworks were AMAZING; one of the best displays I've seen in quite a while!

Pictures of Lukas and the band click here.

Pictures of fireworks click here.

Oakbrook at the Movies "Forrest Gump"

2011-07-10T12:22:00.003-05:00

Really enjoying teaching biblical truths through the perspective of movies. Next week I'll take a look at Inception.

To read a PDF manuscript of today's talk click here.

An MP3 usually shows up here by Tues.

Here's the song that followed the message click here.

Oakbrook at the Movies: "Up"

2011-07-03T13:03:00.004-05:00

Fun times teaching on biblical truth represented in the great movie, "Up." No matter your age, I highly recommend renting this one.

Here's the opening video: Carl & Ellie

Here's the Zimmer's "My Generation" video click here

Here's my message text in PDF click here

Podcast of message shows up a few days later click here

Solution pt 5

2011-05-30T09:22:00.003-05:00

Click here for a PDF of the message text concluding our explosive "Solution" series. Wow--Oakbrook stepped up in HUGE WAYS! So proud and excited for what we'll continue to do!

We Are the Solution

2011-05-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

Do you get tired of driving past homes in your neighborhood that look like this? Me too. Do you notice that it creates tension in you when you look at it? You furrow your brow. You squint. Tension.

I used to think I would call the city and let them know about it. Then I thought about how long that list is and how much money is spent for government employees to mow it and send a bill that will never get paid.

Then I thought that I am probably a better solution. We always think that the government or the church or some organization is the solution. But boil it down and it's people that are the solution. It's my neighborhood. "My" implies ownership. Responsibility.

So again this year I've started mowing a few yards within a block or so of our home by Highland Park. It's good for me. Good for my kids. Maybe even good for my neighbors.

A friend of ours started coming to church earlier this year. On about the third visit this person said through tears to our lead pastor as to how they ended up at Oakbrook, "Those dang Youngs--mowing people's yards and being nice to people--dang them!"

We all lead. We all influence. We all have the capacity to be the solution to something or someone. But, will we? Whether you're into God or not, you can be part of the solution. What needs done in your neighborhood, school or workplace?

Right now our church is rallying around this idea of "solution." We're trying to fill local food pantries. Serve physically throughout the city. Build wells for clean water, kitchens for orphans and houses in Haiti.

And here's a thought--if you think church is a bunch of pew-sitting, high-minded, low-impacting goofs; I invite you to check out our church as we try to be the solution, locally and globally. Doesn't that sound intriguing? When was the last time you stood up to be part of a solution? When was the last time you gave church a try. Maybe now's the time.

Oakbrook Church: imperfect people trying to make a difference.
Sundays 10am

Google: Helping to Wrangle my Life--for Free

2011-04-26T11:34:00.006-05:00

There is so much going on in my life. You? Just the other day Sandra and I were exchanging emails of our calendars' highlights. "This is nuts," I thought.

So I grabbed 2 hours from my day and moved all the data from my Outlook calendar into Google Calendar. Now Sandra can share my calendar and see it anytime she needs to from any computer.

Why Google calendar?

1) I can put different parts of my life in different colors. For me: brown = home; green = Oakbrook; blue = Slate's baseball. (I can add more categories anytime I choose.)

2) I can see/print/share just individual or collective categories anytime I choose with whomever I choose. You want to know when Slate's playing? I'll send you a link to just that!

3) Access it anywhere from any computer. They back it up so I'll never lose data. Did I mention it's FREE?

What and Why is iGoogle?

Sandra turned me onto this. By subscribing to iGoogle and setting it as my homepage, I can now keep track of all the blogs I follow in one place.

It will display the most recent 3 posts of each. It also displays a miniature version of my Google Calendar and will display a whole page view of it w/just 1 click.

I like all the available blogs--but having them all run into my email was getting annoying. Now just the blogs I want are in one simple place.

You can add all kinds of apps to iGoogle, but for me it's just blogs, weather and calendar. Simple.
Did I mention that iGoogle is free?

Do you feel scattered? Use technology to focus and wrangle in some of your loose ends. For free!

Good Friday Creative Reading

2011-04-22T14:44:00.002-05:00

Click here to download a PDF of my reading/writing for Good Friday at Oakbrook.

I must say this one was different. I felt the leading to simply start writing on Monday. None of my typical studying, reading etc. It all came in one sitting. It came fast within a very short period of time. Hardly any editing. It wrote itself. There indeed is a God.

To be the "Mariano" of Anything...

2011-04-18T09:49:00.003-05:00

Mariano Rivera. Seventeen years with the New York Yankees. 41 years old. Eleven-time All Star. Five-time World Series Champion. 566 saves as a closer.

What's really amazing is at his age, when he comes in to close the game at 41, every batter knows what pitch he's going to throw--the cutter--but it doesn't matter. They can't hit it. He can put it anywhere he wants. He personifies pin-point-accuracy. He consistently plays at a level that few have ever played the game. His is the art of closing. It is amazing.

He nailed the game shut against the great-hitting Texas Rangers last night to win that series 2-1.

I walked away thinking, "Wow--to be the Mariano Rivera of...of...ANYTHING!"

What an elusive distinction in out culture: to focus in on one thing, to the point of having mastery. How many people do you know like that? I know people who are good, have amazing talent--but being "Mariano" in something is an altogether higher level of achievement.

Perhaps his good fortune has been to be paid to work on one thing. Or perhaps his working on one thing created his good fortune. Perhaps some of both combined with the grace of God and untold amounts of time refining a gift.

What are we working on, really? I know we're working and putting time in. I know we're sweating physically or figuratively. But is there something in life that we're giving our leveraged focus to?

I don't have any good answers today, just good questions. So in the wake of Mariano's close last night I greet this day convicted and a little fuzzy.

What did God design me to be the Mariano of? He hasn't put me here to throw cutters, but indeed, He has given you and me an ability to be a world class closer of something.

Will we seek to know what it is? Or will we seek to simply stay busy?

Thank you Lord, for Mariano's cutter...and for hitting me with conviction this day...

Doctrine: wk 3 "God Pursues"

2011-04-10T14:36:00.003-05:00

Click here for a PDF of my message transcript.

On Tuesday a podcast will show up here.

Click here to check out the Baptism pics from the service.

Doctrine: wk 2 "God Loves"

2011-04-03T13:33:00.005-05:00

Here's the talk in 3 Latin phrases:

Imago Dei (eh-mah'-go Day)
Made in God's image.

Sole Fide (soul-uh fee' day)
Saved by faith alone.

Coram Deo (core 'em day-oh)
Living all of life before the face of God.

Click here for a PDF transcipt of the talk. It shows up here on Tues as a podcast.

New App: "Insta-Doc!"

2011-04-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

click the image for a larger view

There's a brand new app that will instantly convert your uncool yet very clear documents into a retro hip documents from days gone by. Why do it, you say? Because we can and it's cool! Don't just use it on some documents--use "Insta-Doc" on every doc you create--because more is always better--right? Right! Don't be caught using 2011 technology when you can instantly make your docs tired-looking AND hard to read! Go to the app store and download "Insta-Doc" NOW!

"Insta-Doc" is a product of MorganIsRidculouslySarcastic Inc.

Why do Christians Love to Eat Their Own?

2011-03-25T10:05:00.007-05:00

Jesus of Nazareth (Physical manifestation of God)
Jesus Christ Superstar (musical '71)
The Last Temptation of Christ (movie '88)
Bill Hybels (Pastor Willow Creek Church '75 to present)
The Shack (book '07)
Rob Bell (Mars Hill church, author teacher)

That list has two things in common:

1.) They were all vehemently criticized by a significant sect of Christendom. Killed. Labeled as heretical; destructive to our "fragile" faith.

2) They undeniably pulled me toward a relationship with our Triune God. Or helped me deepen my relationship and understanding of God and Christianity.

I should end this post right here. In fact if you'd like to stop here, that would probably be fine. This post is 100% true up to this point. You cannot refute how the Holy Spirit has moved in my life. Only God and I know the palpable sense in my soul that I experienced with each of those people or media above.

It's a funny thing. We Christians love to say how much we want to let God "out of the box" that we've put him in. We want to espouse that the Holy Spirit is everywhere. We just don't want to believe He can use something that's outside of what we label as heretical. Here's what I mean:

The Last Temptation of Christ has heretical parts in it. When I saw it I was so clueless on God I didn't know what heresy was. Yet the Gospel portrayed in that heretical movie still captured my heart. Somehow the Holy Spirit grabbed my soul even in spite of bad theology.

There is an internet firestorm blazing around Rob Bell and his universalism*. (*No hell; everyone goes to heaven.) I have no comment on that. I have not read his book (Love Wins) yet. I will. After reading it, I may or may not know definitively whether he's a universalist or not. In the mean time, I will not take any one's word for it.

Just for fun, let's say he is a universalist & this latest book is heretical. The Holy Spirit still used all his prior books to draw me closer to Christ. I would still highly recommend them.

Two things bother me about the Christian firestorm at Rob Bell.

1) Many people have made judgment calls without reading the book. Please stop.

2) The vibe of the criticism doesn't seem very kind. Honestly it feels to me like the way Jews treated Jesus. We seem in a great zealous hurry to nail the sign "King of the Universalists" over his head.

Please understand, I am a huge fan of sound doctrine; my life depends upon it. But right now are we more concerned about what Bell is saying about eternity...than we are about the people in our relational world who don't know Christ?

I mean God didn't give me the charge of policing or labeling Rob Bell. But I do think God's very concerned about the souls in my relational sphere and how He can use me in my neck of the woods.

I mean really--if my focus is Rob Bell--I think Satan's rightfully laughing.

And here's my own personal conviction--how much of my Christian beliefs are off from what God intends? Heck, what about the gap between the sound doctrine I espouse...and the actual choices I make? I can't imagine how many times in a day I miss when it comes to sound doctrine and God-honoring choices. But then again Rob Bell's a bigger fish to fry--now isn't he?

I encourages us to focus on heaven and hell as it pertains to the relationships God has placed us in.

And here's a closing thought: IF Rob Bell is a universalist, that doesn't mean he's not in a relationship with Christ. Zoinks!---we might spend eternity among (gasp) UNIVERSALISTS! ;-)

Love someone today. Pray for Rob. Last I knew he is still a brother in Christ.

Shalom, my friends.

The Larry Sanders Show and Mortality

2011-03-08T22:33:00.004-06:00

I'm watching The Larry Sanders Show, one of my favorite series of all time on IFC. Halfway through there's a scene with Gene Siskel. I realize, "Oh, he's dead." He's in the backstage hallway having a condescending conversation with John Ritter. "Oh, he's dead too; how ironic."

The last guest to come on the show within the show is Warren Zevon. "You're kidding me? He's also dead. And one of my favorite musicians. What are the odds?...he died of cancer..."

As the show closes and the credits roll, I think about my friends battling cancer. I look over and see my terminal greyhound Cleo. I try to keep these heavy and oh-so real emotions at bay most of the time. But as I am sitting on the couch, the family in bed; I can feel the wave sneak upon me. It starts in the back of my head, comes over my cranium, warm behind my eyes, then sensitivity in my nose. Tears.

It's just me and the dog in the living room so I don't fight it. It's always safe to cry in front of a dog. Maybe that's one of the silly reasons we get so attached to them. Death comes and death goes. And now it feels like it's moving in for a season.

Sometimes I wonder if God designed tears to be a pop-off valve to keep us from blowing up. Sometimes I think tears help us offload some of the weight that we carry--the weight we're supposed to let God shoulder. And sometimes I think tears just remind me that I'm human and have my limits.

And sometimes tears are foreshadowing. I mean I only teared-up a little; I didn't sob. But when it's time to put the dog down. When all of my friends don't beat cancer. Then. Then, there will be real tears. Death has been, is and will be. And yes, my incomparable Savior has defeated it. But in earthly terms, we still have to weather it. Tears.

Here's to Gene, John, Warren, Cleo...and my courageous friends and their families.

Oakbrook Message: I Believe in You - Marriage

2011-03-06T12:51:00.004-06:00

Click here for the PDF* manuscript of my March 6th talk at Oakbrook Church.

The free podcast will show up here on Tues.

*Click here to get the free program "Adobe Reader" to view PDFs.

How to Buy a (PC) Laptop for Normal People

2011-02-22T11:26:00.010-06:00

I've had many people ask my advice on buying a laptop for them or their college student. I thought I would share my suggestions here to make it more available.

This advice is for you if:

You don't do a lot of video editing or Adobe Photoshop work.
You work mostly in Microsoft Office, surf, email and keep your music on a computer.
You don't necessarily want a Mac.

This describes most of the laptop users. We are light users. I include myself in this even though I do a lot of photo editing in Lightroom and use several programs outside of Office. What typically makes one a heavy computer user: video editing, heavy Photoshop use.

Budget: $400-$700
You can find all you need in this price range.

Stick to the name brands:
(No particular order)
Dell
Toshiba
HP
Asus
Samsung
Sony
Lenovo

Lot's of people will tout this brand or that. For every person who tells you why "brand x" stinks, I'll show you 10 people who rave about theirs. You can find plenty of online ratings. Here's one.

Look for these basic specs:

Hard drive: 500 GB* or larger (Gigabytes*)
Memory: 4 GB
Processor: You do not need the latest, greatest & fastest. Most people can't tell the processing difference between today's hot one and one that's 18 months old (or more). Salesmen love to push processor. Ignore them.

Screen Size:
If you plan to carry it a lot, look for a 15" or smaller. It will fit in a backpack easily and won't wear you out. The more you plan to tote it, the more you should pay attention to how much it weighs. Getting your hands on it in a store is a great gauge of this.

If you won't carry it much at all and you like a lot of screen space, look for a 17". The 17s will probably be at $700 or a little more.

(My next laptop will be 15" or smaller since I simply plug a large monitor into my laptop to do photo editing.)

Battery life:
Unless you plan to be plugged in a lot, check the specs on battery life. If you can find it rated 6-8 hours, that's great. Realize whatever it's rated for, it will diminish with the life of the battery. So that 4-hour battery is maximum and it will decline from there.

Other factors:
Pay attention to things like keyboard, touch pad, buttons, and overall look and feel of it. The great thing about a PC laptop is there are tons of options. Make sure the controls and look and feel good to you -- you will live with it for the next 3-4 years. This is a great reason to go to a retail store.

DVD/CDR drive: (The thing you put your CDs & DVDs in)
These are starting to phase out. We are in the transition of getting all of our data wirelessly. If you want to cut down on the weight of a laptop go without. If you do, you may have to pop for a CDR drive that you connect with a USB cable to your laptop ($70-$80). If you're not sure, go with the DVD/CDR drive. Most of them still come equipped with one.

Reflections on 40 Years of Music

2011-02-19T10:32:00.003-06:00

I've been playing drums for over 4 decades now. (I actually wrote 40 years but deleted it--too horrifying.) That means I've grown up with and played music from the early 60s to now.

If we look back from today to 50 years of music we have the folk,"pop" and psychedelic 60s, the groovy, light/heavy rock, and disco 70s, the new-wave British invasion MTV 80s, the singer-songwriter, U2 influenced 90s, and the hodge-podge mix of everything 00s. And get this: bands like the Rolling Stones, The Who and Bob Dylan have weathered their way through all of those decades and are still going!

Contrast those styles with me looking backward at the same time period in 1970 when I was six. I looked back and saw: 20s Ragtime, 30s beginning of the swing era, 40s Big Band, 50s birth of rock & roll and jazz goes be-bop and cool, 60s folk, pop and psychedelic.

Talk about a huge diversity from the 20s thru the 60s! Dramatically different styles, different instruments, different band make-up. I can't think of one artist that spanned those decades. Maybe Louis Armstrong.

One of the things I appreciate about all the playing (and listening) time I've been fortunate enough to log is how playing is now second nature. It's easy to hear changes coming in tunes when I play them or hear them the first time. It's easy to know when to play busier and when to simplify; when to crank the volume and when to whisper. Quite simply, I hear things quicker than when I was younger.

But I think that everything that is a plus as a drummer and lover of music, also works against me. Because of how long I've been around music, it's so easy to hear the past in new music. "Oh, that's just a reworked Motown rhythm...ah, it's just a surfer feel...hmm, ok a disco feel with a different melody line," etc.

Combine that with the reality that from the 60s to now, we haven't radically changed the musical game. The instruments are still the same (Fender & Gibson guitars, drums bigger or smaller but the same, amps and PAs, piano/keyboards, the occasional horn or string section.

That said, I do not think music now is any less creative, imaginative or cool than it has been. The difference? Me. Everything I hear sits upon all the music I've heard and played since the mid 60s.

The challenge? Not playing the part of the grumpy old musician, "Do you know how many times I've played that groove?! There is nothing new about that song!"

(Not that I'm going to totally shed my elitist tendencies altogether--I mean, c'mon--I am a schooled musician... ;-)

But seriously, this is a challenge. I want to be known by younger people as open minded and someone they want to be around and seek advice from. I want to be able to embrace what has come before me and what's coming now. As music changes, I want to roll with it, not against it.

So if you catch me being grumpy, just work the code word "rutabaga" into our conversation and I'll know what you mean ;-)

Super-Simple Cabinet Uplighting

2011-02-12T09:55:00.002-06:00

Click here for the details of this simple and inexpensive DIY project.

What Non-Profits Can Learn from BLUSH

2011-02-10T11:32:00.004-06:00

see more pics from Hungry for Love

1. Plan Way Ahead
Big events need big planning time lines. They spend a month+ preparing for each event.

2. Pray Hard
People are praying well in advance, expectant that God will show up and be lifted up.

3. Enlist an Army of Volunteers
No one person makes it a success. Scores of people multiply the result and share the load. A Team outperforms a gifted individual every time.

4. Make It Worth Coming To
They've brought in nationally known speakers and local worship bands that could be national. Wowing people this time drives people to it next time.

5. Unity
There are many teams shouldering a BLUSH event but every team serves the greater purpose. A "silo" is a no go if you're trying for Big Mo' (momentum).

6. Sex Up the Space
BLUSH plasters their brand and appropriately cool decorations throughout their space--even the bathrooms. People notice and dig sexy.

7. Work Hard
Big effort nets a big return. You can't coast into an event that attracts 1,000 people. You have to sweat and grunt into it.

8. Have Fun
As hard as people work, smiles and laughter are there from prep to presentation. Everyone wants to be part of something fun. Fun transcends sweat every time.

9. Trust God
They realize it's only God using their efforts. God is responsible for the result, we're responsible to pray and work hard.

10. You Don't Need a CEO
Volunteers are the lead dogs. They discern what God's up to and organize the army to that end. You don't need a salary for success.

BLUSH is a non-profit organization that has done three outreach events to draw children, students and adults to God. The first two events drew 1,000+ people and the last drew 800 on a snowy night with many local cancellations.

What Can Blush Learn from Marketers?
Change their brand and logo to be gender-neutral. God has clearly given them influence with males and females of all ages. Never let your brand limit your influence.

SlickPic - new photo-share site

2011-01-29T10:31:00.003-06:00

I'm starting to use a new photo-sharing site called SlickPic. It's free. Easy to use. Easy for other people to navigate. (Now if someone just had a program that would move your pics from your old site to the new one...)

So far I just have two albums in my gallery: click here to see what they look like.

The Power of Voice Mail

2011-01-19T14:58:00.005-06:00

After being out of my office for several days, I set my laptop down and couldn't miss the little blinking red light on my work phone. For some reason, seeing that flashing light always makes me feel like I'm behind on something I don't yet know about.

I sat, hit my extension and then the code. It's from Friday. Cavalierly, "Hope it wasn't something pressing."

The message began, "Heavenly Father, you've brought Morgan Young to my mind and heart with a sense of urgency today..."

No longer looking at details in front of me, I'm staring at the phone. The prayer continues. The unidentified caller lifted me and everyone in my family up to God by first and last name. He prayed for me as pastor, teacher, father, husband, friend and counselor.

He went on to pray for God's influence through my life and prayed that God's love would wash over me. After about 2 minutes of praying the man's voice simply said with a smile I could see, "I love you."

Having spent the last couple days at home with a fever, I toyed with coming in today or not. The little flashing light revealed that coming in was indeed a great idea.

Naturally I saved this message. I played it again as I wrote this and had to take time to wipe emotion out of my eyes.

It's simple and so powerful. Someone taking time to pray for you. Taking time to pray into a cell phone. God speaking generalities through one man that are heard as specific encouragements to another.

This invisible Force that some say doesn't exist, put my name into the heart and mind of a man I haven't seen in months (and before that it had been months). This man decided to not dismiss this chance occurrence of my name popping into his head. Instead he credits it to this invisible God and manifests these thoughts into a phone call.

He could have hung up when I didn't answer, taking it as evidence that it wasn't mean to be; but instead follows through with a benign voice mail--this unassuming vehicle that we use everyday. And there it sits until the blessing is revealed these five days later.

I clicked onto Facebook and messaged who I thought it was and asked if it were he. Turned out he'd been driving when God slammed my name into his head, so he said. He admitted after all these years he'd finally learned to be obedient to what God wanted when He wanted it. What simple yet powerful words.

As I share this story I wonder how many times I've missed a prompting. How many times I've missed an opportunity to bring the holiness of God into the earthly mundane life of someone else. And I am thankful that this somewhat distant friend followed the Wild Goose last Friday, driving in his car.

"Lord, help me to hear and obey. Not just when I'm actively praying or in a church service--but wherever I am and throughout all hours of the day. Help me remember that You love to show up and show off in the details, in the otherwise unassuming pockets of our lives. Help me, Father, to hear and then follow through. Oh--and thanks for the voice mail..."

Winner: BEST PIZZA (*)

2011-01-07T09:52:00.007-06:00

click image to enlarge

Every year the Kokomo Tribune conducts it's online "Best of Kokomo" contest. Somehow The Brick got nominated and actually annihilated the competition:

The Brick 670
Gabes 366
Pizza King 308
Martino's 248
Tipton's Pizza King 206

(For those not in the know, The Brick is in essence a party we hold in our home where anyone is welcome click here for the full story.)

I have it on good authority that although we won, we will not be pronounced the winner. When I asked why, it went thusly:

"You're not a business."

"So how did we get on the list then?"

(awkwardly) "Someone nominated you."

(Reading the body language) "And you never imagined this outcome..."

(sheepishly) "Uh, no."

I tracked back to the online voting page and indeed, one of the little red links reads "nominate business." So who were we to argue; we aren't a business.

Basically we were fortunate to be allowed to run a race we weren't qualified for. And I did understand that the nominees are advertisers or at least potential advertisers in the K.T. So for a non-business to win a category would defeat the purpose of the contest.

My source tells me The Brick will get some kind of public mention and perhaps even a plaque; but will not be the winner.

We appreciate anything the K.T. wishes to grant us and we do appreciate that they left us on the list. It's been great fun and exposure. (We'd watch the voting daily and just be amazed...)And after all, the votes do speak for themselves. (It's kind of like winning the popular vote but not the electoral.) Seriously, Sandra does make some of the best pizza in town--that's why we started to doing this--it's just too good to keep to ourselves.

To date, we do not know how we got nominated. And we have wondered about the 670 votes. One could only vote in a 24 hour period, so "stuffing the ballot box" wasn't exactly feasible.

I attribute the votes to the reality that The Brick as a matter of course, happens through social media, whereas the other businesses happen through foot traffic. In other words, The Brick's fanbase naturally interacts and knows when the next Brick occurs through Facebook (Sandra & Morgan Young's posts) and it's website.

So for "Brick-heads" voting was just another couple clicks in their normal routine. Conversely imagine how un-natural to tell people picking up a pizza at Gabes, "After you get home, be sure to get on your computer, go to this website and vote for us." Sure they'll remember to do that (sarcasm).

The Brick owes a lot to the social media dynamic of our times. I imagine how difficult it would be to get the word out about a monthly offering that happens on different dates without Facebook, Twitter and a website. It wouldn't have worked ten years ago. Social media is a game changer, or in our case a game maker. We just won a local readers poll and spent ZERO dollars on advertising and our online presence!

Add that dynamic to the loyal fanbase of The Brick and you get 670 votes! There is a palpable zeal to the "Brick-heads." I think that's tied to the concept that at most we're "open" once a month; so it's good food that you can't get any ol' time you desire it. (I think this dynamic works against a lot of restaurants.)

And too, I think people subconsciously voted for something beyond crust and toppings. Sandra and I are blessed with unbelievable friends. We don't know why, but great people show up when we put out the pies; people you just want to be around. And it happens in our cramped house. It's not big--it's a normal sized older home, but there's something warm and welcoming about it.

The people and the setting are things businesses can't compete with and can't replicate. Many restaurants try to make it like home, but deep down, everyone knows that only a home can be a home.

So Sandra and I want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to:

Our friends (and friends of friends) who bring their good vibes to our home, and for all the votes of encouragement.

The Kokomo Tribune for allowing us to participate in a race we weren't qualified for.

God for granting us gifts of hospitality and culinary delights to share with all kinds of people.

Here's our website http://kokomobrick.com/ you don't need an invitation--we hope to see you (or meet you) soon!

Free Gifts & Punitive Punishments

2010-12-30T20:36:00.002-06:00

Ever paid for a gift someone gave you?

Huh? No!

Why?

Because if money exchanged hands--by definition, it would not be a gift.

Oh. So why do people say, "Free gift?"

Probably because they heard it on TV commercials written by monkeys.

I'm picking up on some sarcasm. Why don't we just stop using that phrase?

That's a great idea. I'll blog about it. I'm sure that will solve everything.

I can't wait for the ripple affect this will have on our culture!

Me too.

Oh, what about "punitive punishments?"

I was being...never mind.

Christmas Music

2010-12-23T14:57:00.006-06:00

I know my friends. I know what kind of personality they have. I know what kind of music they like...except at Christmas.

This weird phenomenon occurs. Otherwise hip, cool and edgy personalities embrace holiday songs sung by the likes of: Neil Diamond. Perry Como. The Carpenters. Bing Crosby.

I actually heard a popular local D.J. say in earnest, "Wow, that Perry Como has some powerful Christmas music."

Although I am now laughing at what I just wrote, this post is not a slam of sappy Christmas music. Because we are all guilty of having a soft spot for at least a couple sappy Christmas tunes.

The music we heard as children has a lot to do with this. (Why else would a 30-something listen to Karen Carpenter?) The holiday music we like is attached to so much more than the artist. Those old tunes take us back to our days before we had adult sensibility and responsibility (and musical taste).

Those songs are mysteriously attached to everything that is warm and attractive about our childhood; the best parts of our parents, family and our home. It's not just about Bing, Elvis, Karen and Jose. They are just the musical tour guides to our own unique and prized past. We won't be visited by four spirits tonight; recording artists of yore will do just fine.

Music was such an integral part of our home growing up. My father was a pharmacist by trade, but a jazz musician and aficionado by passion. He played the upright bass and my mother played her baby grand piano that was in the living room.

So Vince Guaraldi and other jazz musicians were our Christmas music. My bohemian beatnik parents laughed aloud at the traditional white bread holiday tunes. (There was no Perry Como in our home.) And so that influence is the wiring pattern of my Christmas music gene.

Which means I like jazzy holiday music: Vince, Ray Brown Trio, Diana Krall, James Brown, to name a few. And I like whatever is off the beaten path: Barenaked Ladies, Jars of Clay, Sister Hazel and a favorite CD called "Maybe This Christmas."

These are not things I chose. This is the holiday music taste given to me by my parents; two hep-cats that liked to march to a different drummer.

But there is another type of Christmas music that was part of my childhood. I sang it during elementary school Christmas programs. I heard it in seasonal TV shows...

Christmas Carols.

I can remember singing and hearing songs like, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, Come All Ye Faithful, and The First Noel. For a young boy growing up in a family that never went to church, these were my first glimpses into something Holy and hopeful.

I can remember at times fighting back tears that trickled at the impulse of these lyrics--not knowing why or fully understanding it. Yet, moved by the truth of them.

To this day--the carols that celebrate Christ's birth are perhaps the most profound to me. They still make me want to weep. Certainly that's attributed to the truth of them. And then another part is perhaps attributed to my deep-down knowing--that the power of Christ started creeping into my unchurched godless home--through these songs.

It's so ironic. This non-conformist opinionated musician--the child of beatnik elitists--rocked by the oldest and most traditional of Christmas music. Indeed.

Here's to you and whatever old sappy Christmas music that moves your soul this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Peace...

What's in a Box?

2010-12-22T10:07:00.003-06:00

I had the most profound Christmas experience this morning; my family delivered Red Ribbon Christmas Outreach Boxes for the Kokomo Rescue Mission.

Please hear no self-promotion in this whatsoever. My hat is off to the staff of the KRM and the TONS of volunteers that it takes to make this happen.

It's so simple: drive your car to get some directions, then take some boxes to people in need. It is so much more profound than that simplicity implies.

There must have been 300-400 people in a building donated by General Motors. I loved it--300-400 people got out of bed at 6am, went out in the freezing cold to do this. (I'm sure some volunteers were going much earlier!)

A few simple directions were given from a few rungs up on ladder in the middle of the industrial gray room. Then we all sang one simple chorus each of Come All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World.

I have to confess I was fighting back the emotion as these 300+ Carhardt-wearing people loudly sang in this echoing block building. They were the "faithful" who had come. They were about to load "Joy" into pickup trucks and minivans. Yes, I cried a little. If only I were man enough to cry as much as my soul wanted to.

Our four stops on Kokomo's north end weren't warm exchanges where recipients cried and asked us to pray for them. They were a little awkward. We awakened a few--literally wiping cobwebs from their eyes as they opened the door.

They appreciated our visit but didn't really want to have a chat with people they'd never met; people who only knew of them, that they were in need. I would probably feel the same way. And their reaction is not what this is about anyway.

I was thankful to have had the means to fix the transmission in our minivan so we could haul four boxes. I was thankful that Sandra had challenged us to do this as a family. I was thankful that Meghan and Slater willingly came with us. I was thankful to sing of faith and joy with people I didn't know (and some I did). I was thankful that a Child in a food trough still spurs people to make a difference in the lives of people they do not know.

Merry Christmas, friends...and those whom I don't yet know.

Christmas & Xmas.

2010-12-13T10:58:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again. Click here.

Confessions of a Church Musician Part II

2010-12-10T12:20:00.006-06:00

See Part 1

Perhaps an appropriate recap of Part 1 would be: “Church changes and that means sometimes roles do as well.”

I’m writing this series to help artists navigate this change and to give people the freedom to discuss this in the clarity of conversation, rather than within the often murky confines of the artistic mind. (Or maybe only my mind is murky ;-)

I’m not trying to change the new paradigm, but rather, helping artists transition well into the next chapter.

Why talk about this? Change the play on an accountant and that’s cake. Change the play or paradigm on an artist and let’s just say it’s somehow less clearly-cut than opening a new spreadsheet ;-)

So what now?

Re-surrender. When church changes artists must re-surrender their talents. When there’s a great fit between your gifts and what the church needs, honestly there’s not a lot of surrender going on; you’re feeling like you’re doing the most natural thing possible. But when the church changes and your gifts are’t the match they were, it stops feeling natural. One now needs to re-surrender.

This is what re-surrender looks like in a prayerful dialogue:

“Lord, thank you for how You have gifted me. My abilities comes from You. How do You want me to use these gifts today? As the expression of Your church changes, how and where would You like to use me in Your church? Lord, help me not be self-centered in my giftedness and serving. Lord, if there is self-serving junk driving me, shine Your light on it and root it out. Help me be fully surrendered to You and Your church. Lead me, Lord, and I will follow.”

Pray along these lines and initiate healthy conversations with healthy Christ followers. Do NOT have “shadow” conversations or “discussions in the bushes” about how unhappy or disgruntled you are.

I’ve thought about the person who has phenomenal tile or building skills. For the run of constructing our current facility their gifts were a perfect match; but then the building was completed and so was that specific kind of serving opportunity for them. Their serving had to look different going forward, or until that skill/gift is needed again. Church changes and we have to along with it.

Options?

Maybe God wants to use your artistic gift in a different area of the church or in a different manner. Maybe it’s ministering to a different audience within the church. Maybe it’s helping younger artists develop and mature musically and spiritually.

Maybe God wants your artistic gift to become more missional; using it outside the walls of the church, influencing the culture and cultivating relationships with those whom you’d never meet inside the church. Maybe God wants…?

Re-surrender and begin to ask Him how He wants to use your gift; where, when, how and for whom? Maybe God will start something that’s now only possible because you have more time to use your gift in this new way.

Words for churches and their arts leaders

One of the most profound things I learned at the AND Conference was that leadership has to start the dialogue about change as soon as they sense change is afoot.

This is messy because on the front end of change, leaders do not have it figured out. We leaders usually don’t like talking to teams when we don’t have answers. But when changes happens without a dialogue that’s instigated by leaders, the followers often feel lost or left out.

(I am in no way “sticking it” to Oakbrook or any church’s leadership here--we have GREAT arts leadership. I am in leadership at Oakbrook—this is simply the clarity that I have in hindsight.)

This is what transitional leadership looks like:

“We don’t have all the answers…where don’t exactly know where this is going…we do know we are transitioning into a more worshipful (or fill in the blank) paradigm…we are leaving a more performance-oriented paradigm…we don’t know how this will affect personnel but it probably will…we want to keep an open dialogue…”

Further along in the process as more clarity naturally happens, it will be apparent that some people will be used more and other less. That’s the time to initiate one-on-one conversations. Help guide those being used less to navigate the change. Tell the truth in love. God moves, God changes things and leaders are His mouthpiece.

When it comes to church leadership, much is talked about and written about when it comes to team building. But when it comes to team restructuring or team retooling, I’ve heard or read very little about this topic.

But for churches who are standing the test of time, leading transitions is par for the course and crucial. Because we don’t want to turn away blue chip volunteers that we’re using less—we want to help them transition too!

When a team transitions, people must transition. And the people need led in the process, much like they were led onto the team on the front end. If a football team chose to change their makeup to a more run oriented scheme, the coach would talk about how this new change is going to affect the current roster.

Fortunately for the church, we don't have to cut players, but rather help them transition within the team of the church as a whole.

I think this is the end of this series…I think…maybe...depends on the feedback ;-)

December Funeral

2010-12-10T10:50:00.003-06:00

12.8.10

I am uncharacteristically dressed in suit and tie in the middle of the week; a telltale sign of the funeral I will officiate in but a few hours.

I imagine what most people are focused upon today: work, crossing things of a list, Christmas shopping, worry about what's for dinner, coming up with a witty tweet. But today I will help two parents bury their thirty-seven year old daughter.

I said to my friend, Sam, just this morning that I enjoy serving a family in this kind of a way; and truthfully, I do. But as I write this, I wonder if my soul secretly appreciates how a funeral redefines for me, what's most important.

I've been stewing and chewing on restless thoughts lately. But being the storyteller at the close of one's life makes me see how petty my unproductive thoughts have been.

I did a funeral last December as well. It's hard to view a December funeral apart from Christmas. It's the back drop for everything that happens this month--even funerals. There are the Christmas cards with the words, "Peace on Earth." Cards with a manger scene on a snowy night and the word, "Hope."

For the family laying a loved one to rest, hope, peace and the presence of the Christ Child come off these cliche cards and manifest themselves as profound truth and intersect reality.

At least I pray God will use me to that end today. And I pray the poignancy of this funeral will stay with me through the holidays.

Peace on Earth. Peace to this family...at Christmastime.

Inside Cook McDoogal's

2010-11-23T19:52:00.031-06:00

(click pics for larger image)

Welcome to day 1 of Cook McDoogal's on the square in downtown Kokomo. The service was excellent (ask for Sara). And the decor was everything you could want in an Irish pub.

We only had an appetizer (corned beef & cabbage rolls) but it was great. Someone had thought about it & used good ingredients. (That would be Blake.)

One of the real stars--the 12 tap (left to right):

Hoegaarden Belgian White (since 1445), Bass, Strongbow Cider, Blue Moon, Fat Tire, George Killians, Harp, Smithwicks (pronounced "Smiddicks"), Kilkenny, Murphy's, Guinness

We got to meet Jake & Blake. Jake Young is the front of the house mgr and has a very easy personality.

I asked him if he had Young's Double Chocolate Stout. He didn't, but was intrigued and wrote a note about it. He and Blake take their beers very seriously.

Blake, the culinary mojo, was unassuming and got here through culinary studies in the states and travels in Europe.

Sandra and I had a great time and are looking forward to many more trips. If this is your cup of..."tea"...I highly recommend you try it soon!

Mon-Thurs 11:00 - 11:00
Fri -Sat 11:00 - 1:00 (closed Sun)
765-450-6143
no smoking ;-)

Below is a lovely Black Velvet (1/2 Guinness & 1/2 Strongbow)

Cook McDoogal's -- Almost Here!

2010-11-19T13:06:00.004-06:00

Cook McDoogal's Irish Pub * corner of Sycamore & Main, downtown Kokomo

"Scott Pitcher told me (and he did) I could stop in and check it out," got me a preview of Kokomo's only Irish Pub today.

All I can say is WOW! Pitcher's handiwork in restaurants has never been anything to sneeze at (where did we get that expression?) but he outdid himself on this one.

The bones of this old building didn't hurt either, nor the charming downtown corner location. When they opened up the dropped ceiling it revealed the original late 1800's tin. I can't imagine how much money it would have taken to add the vibe that this gem does, and it had been there tho whole time-- these hundred years. Wow.

The pub is laid out in snugs (seating areas). Each snug is designed to give you a different experience since each snug is unique. I can easily imaging people saying, "Oh, next time let's try to sit over there!"

I couldn't believe how much was done with recycled material; ancient wood beans to vintage elegant light fixtures. The amount of native storied wood in this space is unbelievable. And to top it off, there are various pieces of locally-crafted opalescent glass that fits into this ancient wood like it's always been there.

The "Pub" part of this equation is for real. twelve import beers are on tap! Guinness, Harp, Strongbow and Murphy's to name just four! See related blog post.

It's refreshing in this challenging economy to see the downtown with its recent face lift and now a very cool "Broad Ripple-like" experience like this making a run. Way to go Kokomo & McDoogal's!

They plan to open this Tuesday. It's non-smoking and you must be 21 to enter.

Related CNN article

Confessions of a Church Muscian pt 1

2010-11-19T10:19:00.003-06:00

The distance between playing drums 90% of the time for your church to once every two months is a long strange emotional trip.

Church music now is worship music. In the majority of my experience at Oakbrook it wasn’t. The music was diverse, and in essence needed studio musicians. That was a perfect musical fit for me; blue grass, movie soundtrack, pop, jazz, country, blues, rock—you name it.

It didn’t matter how hard the piece was, I could handle it. I’ve played drums since I was 4, took lessons at age 8 and I would humbly say that even at a young age, my musical ability was a gift from God. To this day, I need to practice little to none to pull off a tune. The big band Christmas services a couple years ago was maybe the only time I practiced on the kit before a band rehearsal. That’s not really the musical norm.

(Please understand, I’m not trying to be full of myself here, just trying to paint a picture—and that ability is not of ME—it’s a gift bestowed to me from God, of which I’m grateful.)

Over the last couple years our church music has slowly flowed into predominantly worship music. For a drummer it’s not complicated; very simple in fact (at least for me). And after playing lots of different styles for decades, the current trend is not very diverse to me. This isn’t criticism, it’s just what it is, to me musically.

I enjoy worship music. (And yes, I understand that worship isn’t about the music.) But I can more easily find God in a quiet room, reading, praying, writing, studying, or in a compelling instrumental tune or non-worship secular song for that matter. There are different worship pathways, and musical worship in the congregational sense is not my primary one. Maybe it's my non-churched upbringing, but I can find God in the arts seemingly more easily than worship music.

The recent church music trend is also going away from a pool of musicians toward a worship band model whereupon a worship leader will have the same drummer, bassist, guitarist, playing together all the time.

So in the near future, the odds of me being chosen when there are younger drummers with more affinity with a worship leader? Slim. And if I were a 20-30-something worship leader, not sure I'd choose the 46 year old drummer.

And let me be honest: not really sure I have the passion to do it in this current worship music paradigm. And without a doubt-- it would absolutely be best to have drummers playing these worship tunes that really love this current worship style.

And what a great opportunity for these young talented drummers---to enfold them into kingdom impact and allow them to use their abilities for God’s glory! That’s a great thing, friends.

So it’s weird to be here. I have a passion for drums and for music. I have a unique gift to play. Musically, I may be in the best days of a musician’s life: lots of experience, decades of developed technique, musical discernment that only comes with age, knowing how to setup players in a band and help them sound their best. This is the age when most musicians are at their best.

So it’s weird. On the church music scene I’m on the “outs” and don’t necessarily want to be back “in.” But what about the gift? “To whom much is given, much is required,” Sandra said the other day as I was torturing her with this discussion. Dang her! ;-)

And to be crystal clear, church changes. It must. When a church stops changing it starts dying. The current worship-centric church trend seems to be how God is moving now. So perhaps this is all as simple as I was blessed with the run I had; but these times, they are a changin’.

In a cerebral sense, I get it. But perhaps emotionally and even spiritually, it’s a tad sad to see the door closing on 19 years of church drumming knowing a unique gift is still in me.

As I’m writing this I’m remembering the words that a sage in my life uttered just yesterday. “Pastors never retire. They just retool.” Perhaps the same is true for church drummers.

So musically…what now, God? Anybody need a slightly used perfectly aged drummer? ;-)

Even Playing Field? (mac - pc)

2010-11-16T11:32:00.005-06:00

I recently spoke with an educator who teaches graphic arts. This person happened to mention that the high schools and Ivy Tech use PCs with their graphics classes. I asked about college programs; did they prefer Mac? (I assumed they did since they have historically been the graphics machine of choice.)

The teacher checked with a former student now at IU studying graphic arts. The findings: "Either (mac or pc) is fine."

This is far from a conclusive study, but I did expect to hear, "Mac for design." Interesting...

Peace.

Tip o' the Hat: NORM -- Missional Event FTW

2010-11-15T08:33:00.008-06:00

Kokomo Tribune photo by Tim Bath.

Friday night and Saturday morning, 900 students, 300 parents and 100 volunteers shared in a world-class offering centered around helping students appropriately navigate sexual situations and cyber pitfalls of our day (that we don't even know exist).

Guest speaker, Katie Koestner, shared one of the most powerful stories and teaching that I've ever heard. She was on the cover of Time Magazine as her date rape store brought national attention. She's a subject of an HBO movie and has appeared on Oprah, MTV, Larry King Live, CNN, NBC News, Good Morning America et. al.

As she shared her personal story (with just the high school students) you could have heard a pin drop in the 1,000+ seat auditorium at First Church of the Nazarene on LaFountaine St.

At the end of the night a worship band comprised of vocalists & musicians from different churches led a powerful worship set. The energy and intensity reminded me of being at BigStuf in Panama City FL. At the end of the night, there was a non-manipulative offer for kids to come down who might need prayer, guidance, whatever. Many kids did. It was powerful...

Saturday morning Koestner led an eye-opening talk on how parents can lead in this digital age that many parents do not understand. I consider myself computer savvy and literate--and I was amazed what I learned about the permanency of everything we text or share on a cell phone or post on the internet. I had no idea...and you probably don't either.

Last week I spent 2 days at the AND Conference that was all about missional movements. This week I was part of one. What's a missional movement? Read on:

1,300 people came together for something powerful and life changing; yet it had no paid leadership. It was 100% volunteer. The information would have made a profound deposit whether one was a Christ follower or not. Two volunteers raised $18,000 to make this happen.

I was impressed. I was thankful and honored that Stacey Tice asked Sandra & I to be on the spiritual team. I was moved by the huge amount of volunteerism that it took to pull it off. That meant a lot of people were doing a lot of recruiting and a lot of people were saying yes. That's powerful. That's missional.

Tip o'the hat to the blush Board of Directors: Janay Martin, Teresa Devaul, Deb Austin, Kara Gingerish, Susan Heaslip, Jennifer Habig, Deoanna Holland, Amy Pate, Evelyn Sherwood, Erin Shultz, and Stacey Tice.

My advice? The next time you see something happening in our community sponsored by blush, highly consider going, inviting others, and getting your kids there. I strongly sense God in this missional movement.

Campus Outreach Services, Katie Koestner exec dir

Blush website

click here to get updates on blush events

The Unsinkable Late Night Talk Show

2010-11-11T18:21:00.007-06:00

Jack Paar, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, David Letterman
Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon

In the last 56 years nearly everything has morphed, if not radically changed. That is, everything except the late night talk show.

Talk show mainstays from 1954 to 2010: The suit, the monologue, the sidekick, the desk, the mug, the couch, the band, and the schticky host comedy bits.

I've tuned in to see Conan's return and have been flipping around other channels to see what I've been missing and my take is, not much. I'm shocked that in half a century, the only change in late night is in essence, more edgy or sophomoric content. It's a 56 year old predictable template:

Cue theme song with sidekick voice over.
Host comes center stage to CRAZY studio audience applause.
Host does "humorous" monologue on current events.
Meet my band leader while I sit behind a large desk w/a large mic on it.
Comedy shenanigans at desk with/without sidekick.
Cut to commercial
Bring out first guest.
Yet another comedy bit.
Bring out second guest.
Don't miss tomorrow when we'll do the same thing with different guests!

Yes, some hosts do it better or funnier than others, but it's time for something new. Nah...lets go for an even century!

On the other hand, there are definitely some creative network shows out there that are offering fresh takes on television programming; they just aren't on late night.

It seemed pretty lame the way Coco was treated by NBC/Leno. And it's nice that he got a new show on TBS. Nothing against Conan--I like him, just would have been nicer had he returned with something truly new.

Peace.

Protege Website Facelift

2010-11-11T10:51:00.004-06:00

We're off on a new run of Protege at Oakbrook! Just gave the Protege website a new look for the new season occprotege.blogspot.com.

Alyssa Porter and Elijah Pickett are our two Proteges. You can check out her blog here and his here. Oakbrook staffer Niko Gruber is also sharing in Protege as a mentoring experience and will do some co-leading.

I invite you to follow along, share it with others and maybe even consider being in the Protege Program at some point.

The AND Conference

2010-11-06T10:05:00.011-05:00

Click h ere for a little about the conference including links to sessions.

Here's the essence of the tension: Many churches are based on an attractional model. You do amazing things that attract people to your church. Current research says that of the 100% people who could come to your church, only 40% would ever consider coming (and that number is shrinking).

60% will not be attracted no matter what we do. So it will take a missional model (going OUT to serve the people) to reach the 60%. This conference is about the truth that the church need sto be attraction AND missional going forward.

I thought Alan Hirsh was one of the premiere speakers. Here are some quotes from him:

"The problems of the current church cannot be resolved by the same lines of thinking that created it...digging a deeper hole is not the same as digging a new hole."

"Most churches are fishing in red oceans not blue oceans."

(Market terms: red ocean is a market that already exists and different entities are vying for the same catch - "blood in the water." Blue ocean is a new territory, new paradigm "unfished.")

"'If you can't imagine it, you can't do it.' -Einstein So we first have to make space in our minds to think movement rather than thinking programs." (First step in missional is in the mind--learning to envision a new paradigm.)

"AA is a great movement yet it has no headquarters...exponential movement is always the result of people, not an organizations."

He now prefers the word EXTRACTIONAL over attractional. In the current church model, we attract & convert people, they become involved in the life of the church and eventually live a life extracted from their prior culture of their unchurched world--(and we later wonder why they're not inviting people)."

"I'm hopeful...95% of Americans believe in God...to be an American is to be Christian...atheism is a sliver of the population that has never grown...American is the last stand for Christ and His church...the game is over in Europe unless a miracle occurs...I am called to America..." (He's an Aussie Jew)

"We have to re-Jesus people. He is Savior to Americans but not Lord...this is at the heart of renewal..."

>>>"We're perfectly designed to achieve what we're achieving." <<< "Our ability to birth a movement is directly proportional to our ability to make disciples."

Rob Wegner (GCC teaching pastor)

"We feel like our whole church is starting all over again."

"Deconstructing our people's thoughts about church is going to be a big deal..."

Hugh Halter (Nat'l dir for Missio)

"It's all about disciple making. Disciples by definition will be on mission...for us we use the term apprentice for disciple."

"Biblically the spirit & the flesh are opposed to each other--we don't naturally want to be missional people."

Barriers to disciple making: individualism, materialism (buying things), consumerism (God's here for me).

Jesus' apprenticing included: tension--He put them in tension-filled situations, modeling, action & reflection.

Get 16% of your people to become real disciples and you will create a tipping point. He uses this 8 wk group primer to disciple people.

Dave Ferguson (Community Christian Church)

Only 18-20% of Americans are in church on Sundays.

No spiritual affiliation has doubled in the last 10 years.

Missional people + multiplying churches = missional movement

3 things their church does:

1) Ordain EVERY Christ follower (priesthood of all believers)(anoint w/oil)
2) Lead with a YES (If someone wants to do something that lines up w/your mission and they have resources & vision, say yes.
3) Make heroes of everyday people (tell the missional stories in your church)

Matt Carter (Austin Stone Comm Church)

Last 10 years we've created 1,000 mega churches but per capita, church attendance is down.

"If my churches grows another 3,000 people but nothing changes in my community, that's a big problem...but what if we released 3,000 people on the city of Austin?"

"Jesus didn't model a church growth strategy. He discipled 12 men, gave them His Spirit and turned them loose."

They've based their groups around mission. Found that if groups aim for community they might get it. If they aim for mission they get both community and missional impact!

"Trained our leaders to be self-feeders not consumers...raised the bar in their minds & hearts of what God can do through them."

Tim Stevens (exec pastor Granger Comm Church)

Missional-schmissional: "I've never met an attractional pastor that didn't care for and love the people in his community and was trying to help/impact them."

Attractional -schmactional: "I admit I get tired that this series has to be better than the last and that we're as good as our last ministry offering."

"Four years ago we stopped growing for the first time in our history."

This we know:

1) We must begin to reach the 60%
2) We must reach more of the 40%
3) We must help the 40% reach their 60%

Past: Now:
Get people connected in church. Get the church into the community
Defined by weekend service. Defined by where you are.
Central top-down structure. Decentralized organic quick growth model.
Stats: attendance & giving. Community impact.
No designated giving. Lots of ways to give to your passion.
Ministry is at the bldg. Minister where you are.
Bldg serves the church. Bldg serves the community.
Community invited to join. Church also meets here.

attender: "I like the attractional church--it worked for me & my family in every way!...but I have a friend who I cannot get to come to it..."

Jason Miller (arts & teaching GCC)

"If our people can't see this new paradigm, they can't join it. So we have to make the missional church manifest."

"Imagination is the tool to envisioning what can be real and transforming our current realities."

"The church is God's imagination for the world."

"Beauty matters...it transforms our heart...create something beautiful that resonates with the heart of God."

"Style doesn't change anything. It's just a wrapping."

Eric Bramlett (comic genius)
He did the Q&A Corner w/speakers after their talks. His deadpan humor 100% rocked and added immensely to the conference. A+!

Whispers wk 3 "God Speaks Through People"

2010-10-24T13:35:00.002-05:00

Here's my PDF manuscript from this talk. Click here. Big thanks to Josh & Robyn Whaley for sharing their story of following the whisper to start SHINE tailgate at local football games!

And here are some of the people I follow on Twitter for online Soul Food:

RevRunWisdom (Rev Run formerly Run DMC)
JohncMaxwell (Dr. John C. Maxwell)
DonMillerIs (Donald Miller)
LenSweet (Leonard Sweet)
MarkBatterson (of "Chase the Lion" fame)
TonyMorganLive (pastor Tony Morgan)

Here's the Blog about Halloween by Tony Morgan

NFL Coaching Shuffle

2010-10-18T18:14:00.004-05:00

"Big D" Dallas Cowboys are 1-4 after nearly everyone picked them to be Super Bowl contenders. Why? "They have so much talent." They also have head coach Wade Phillips.

San Diego Chargers are off to a 2-4 start with losses to three less-than-stellar teams: Seahawks, Raiders & Rams. This from a team that head coach Norv Turner inherited with a 14-2 record and was one win away from the Super Bowl.

What's wrong with the Cowboys and Chargers? They're suffering from head coaches who came with high expectations but only mediocre resumes.

Prior to coming to San Diego, Norv had a winning percentage of .281 at Oakland, .454 in Washington and 1 year playing in the post season.

Perhaps his predecessor had worse stats? Nope. Clearly well above average:

Former Chargers head coach, Marty Schottenheimer, had a .614 winning percentage and 13 years (out of 21) playing into the post season. He built teams that consistently won and had opportunities to win the big one. But because he did not win the big game, they thought a head coach with a mediocre resume (Turner) could somehow get it done. How logical.

And what about Dallas, this team with so much talent? Perhaps they are now playing at the level of their coach. Prior to coming to Dallas, Phillips had a total of 3 years playing into the post season, only getting as far as wildcard losses.

In this multi-billion dollar NFL business I don't understand the illogical expectations of hiring mediocre coaches and expecting post season play. Or what's more dysfunctional, firing a guy for getting you into the post season (but not to the big game) and replacing him with less successful coach.

Maybe when I'm a billionaire it will all make more sense to me ;-)

P.S.
What does make sense is the losing Washington Redskins hiring a coach with a winning resume and expecting better results. Wise choice hiring Mike Shanahan. Look out for the Skins!

Whispers wk 1

2010-10-11T07:01:00.002-05:00

Here's the PDF of my talk kicking off week 1 of our Whispers series @ Oakbrook based on Bill Hybels' book.

Finding the Value in Twitter

2010-09-23T09:17:00.005-05:00

Confession: I have not been a Twitter fan. I found it to be more noise, a time-waster and I loathed the word "tweet." (still not very fond of it)

BUT---I have learned that the value of Twitter lies in whom one chooses to follow! (<< that was the big idea right there)

My original experience was following local people that I knew. And not trying to disparage the locals, but what kind of sandwich one was eating wasn't exactly news I could use.

But Twitter has changed since I started following people who daily have wisdom, insights or humor to share. Here are a few that have added value to me:

John C. Maxwell
Leonard Sweet
Seth Godin
RevRunWisdom
Tim Stevens
Seth Mcfarlane (sorry, I need a laugh now & then)

So Twitter doesn't have to be noise--it has the potential of being a very focused source of info from people you relate with and appreciate.

Do you think Twitter is lame? Delete the people you follow who don't add value to your day and follow people who do.

Latest from the Wood Shop

2010-09-20T15:15:00.001-05:00

Click here for the whole story w/blow-by-blow pics.

Sharpie + Ducati = Way Cool Art

2010-09-16T22:56:00.004-05:00

Jody Whitsell is an artist that decided to re-do her Ducati Monster with a Sharpie; 20 of them actually. She also will custom Sharpie-up your helmet for a cool $800. (you provide helmet & pay shipping)

Love it!!!

credit: pg 15 Cycle World, Oct 2010

25 Years of Ministry = "Fish" ;-)

2010-09-14T10:58:00.006-05:00

This is Oakbrook's 25th year of ministry. Mark & Ronda Malin lead a handful of people to launch its first service, September 8, 1985. Some of those people are still here.

The staff and some good friends chipped in and bought them--what else?--a FISH! ;-) Actually this is a one-of-kind-artisan-crafted fish; the likes that Mark has wanted for a while.

They read a letter from their staff and friends and will enjoy a "get-away-and-do-replenishing-things fund" throughout the year.

It was a tender time. You could tell they didn't expect it and were moved to tender emotions. During the prayer time that followed, lots of sniffles underscored thankful prayers of what God has done and what He is still doing. It was a welcomed stream of emotion and the palpable Spirit of God.

Can't imagine a better start to a day or a better place to be ;-)

Multi-Gen Mojo Message

2010-09-12T12:56:00.003-05:00

Click here for a PDF of my Sept 5th talk.

Thanks, Mr. Baughman

2010-09-10T08:14:00.004-05:00

Last night after running an errand to the west side Kroger, I stopped in the ol' Forest Park Dairy Queen for a dipped cone.

"Hmm. That looks like Mr. Baughman, my sophomore year driving instructor."

I order. I study him some more. It was the early '80s but, yes, pretty sure that's him.

"Here's your cone!"

"Thank you."

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Baughman?"

Curious look, ""Why, yes I am..."

"I'm Morgan Young. You taught me how to drive. Thank you very much."

Huge smile now, "Well that must have been a few years ago!"

"Just a few ;-)"

Still with a huge smile that's nearly a laugh, "Thank you for saying something--thank you for remembering!"

"Thank you for teaching me, Mr. Baughman."

When I had walked in, he looked so old and serious. Intent. Unemotional. Alone.

When I walked out he had the look of an excited school boy on his face. Genuine joy. Happiness. He was known. Appreciated.

As I stood there eyeing the menu and Mr. Baumann, I kept wondering if I should say something or just let it go. As I drove away I was so glad I had uttered those few words and given that tiny bit of time to him.

How many more chances will I get to thank teachers who taught me in school? How many more times will men and women like Mr. Baughman get thanked for what they gave their lives to?

The power of the human touch is so powerful. I saw Mr. Baughman's face and emotions transformed...all because of a silly dipped cone. Life is in the details, friends.

Frankenstein goes to Church?

2010-08-30T10:55:00.006-05:00

click image to play

These are good friends Monty Sanders (sax), Eric Foust (silver/black gtr), Cameron Sprinkle (white gtr), David Bottomley (keys) the bassman Jeremy Carter and me on drums.

This is a Marcus Miller version of the Edgar Winter band's 1973 tune, Frankenstein. We played this as the prelude at Oakbrook's Sunday morning church service 8.29.10

Nothing like playing with great musicians and great friends to the glory of an amazing God. You might ask, "What's so worshipful about this?"

We all realize that the gifts we have came from God. We do what we do only because of His gifts. We also believe that Christ followers should have fun. This is a picture of us having fun in Him, to His glory, not to ours.

Worship is so much more than singing songs ;-)

Free Meyers-Briggs Online Tests

2010-08-16T14:10:00.002-05:00

Meyers-Briggs is one of the leading tests to help us understand who we are. I finally did two online Meyers-Briggs based tests and got two identical conclusions.

Take your own test. It's simple.

1. Go here and/or here take the tests and it will give you a 4-letter Meyers-Briggs result.

2. Then go here to read about who you are.

I am INTJ:
"Independent, original, analytical, and determined. Have an exceptional ability to turn theories into solid plans. Highly value knowledge, competence, and structure. Driven to derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have very high standards for their performance and the performance of others. Natural leaders, but will follow if they trust existing leaders."

If you know me, that's a pretty good summary! Here's the LONG version of it.

What are you? Is it accurate?

Grass Roots Love

2010-08-16T08:42:00.004-05:00

I notice things in our city given our economic climate; some things I can't change, some I can. I notice the abandoned houses. I don't know what happened, where the people are, why they've gone. But the high grass on the property tells me they've left.

It's going on in nearly every neighborhood. This is something I can change. Something you can change. Right now there are two houses with two little yards that our family is mowing. One I can see and the other is a block away. Our daughter Meghan is taking care of one of them.

I'm busy. You're busy. But I think we have 15-20 minutes to spare. So here's the challenge:

Mow a yard in your neighborhood that's out of control. Keep it mowed. Sure it's technically the bank's responsibility or the city will eventually cut it and bill someone that will never pay it. Or you and I could take care of our neighborhood. We can show our kids and neighbors that we care and that compassion is sometimes as simple as mowing a yard.

The next time you shake your head because a yard has gone to hell--maybe you could be the person to bring it back. That's the challenge.

Peace & grass clippings,
-Morgan

Field of Dreams Road Trip

2010-08-02T10:05:00.008-05:00

more pics from the trip

The Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams is 21 years old now. That doesn't keep Slater from liking it. He's an old soul/new soul baseball kid. He likes the old Yankees: Ruth, Berra, Gehrig, DiMaggio. And the new ones: Jeter, Rodriguez, Posada, Swisher.

He likes the old Yankee Stadium and the new one. Not every 14 (almost 15) year old kid has a sense and appreciation of the past and the present; Slate does. Maybe it's because his namesake great-great uncles were broadcasters in the golden age of sports radio.

His name itself, "Slater," may be his link to the past. Here's a pic of Tom Slater with heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey and Yankee great Babe Ruth. This hangs on Slate's bedroom door.

And here's a bit on Bill Slater. (Slater is my mother's maiden name and my middle name.)

Monday night we loaded up the car with baseball gear: a wooden bat, a new bat, bucket of balls, and gloves. And I noticed Slate grabbed my old first baseman's glove off the dusty shelf in the garage too; a '76 era Chris Chambliss autographed model that I bought for $20 when I was twelve. He decided to take some of the past with him.

We were up at 6 Tues. fueled with some of Sandra's blueberry pancakes and a cooler of home made, hand packed road food. No real woman would ever send her men out on the road without some love wrapped in Ziploc bags.

The GPS said we should stay on the mega-highways and head up to Chicago. That didn't feel right to me. We pulled out the big atlas and plotted a new course. To Lafayette, then to 65 N for a bit, then hit 24 west; a two lane highway that cut Illinois in two and ambles through little towns with 3 or 4 digit populations and grain elevators. It turns out our route had a whole lot more character and actually got us there sooner than the GPS.

Hours into the trip we were both pretty tired. The early start and the pancakes were kicking our butts. That's when we rolled past Paternoster Ford. Road fatigue has a way of turning men of any age into sophomoric idiots. Needless to say we somehow found something inappropriate in the word "Paternoster." We mocked it and laughed ourselves back into being wide awake.

The whole drive through IL on 24 was to drive in Indiana. If was exactly the same. Flat, corn, tractors, pickups, kind townspeople. But then there was...Iowa.

Shoeless Joe: "Is this heaven?"
Ray Kinsella: "No. It's Iowa."

That dialogue makes more sense now. Southeast Iowa is not Illinois or Indiana. It's slow rolling hills that you seem to see forever, all the way into the sunset. And on those undulating hills is more corn than you've ever seen before.

Here, a corn field is only the row by the road. In Iowa the corn rows run with the curves of the hills to the point you wonder if the farmer's tractor would fall over. Corn, this way and that, following the hills making symmetrical patterns like nothing in Indiana. Corn connected the roadside to the sunset. Corn was cool.

After 7 1/2 hours in the CRV our tired backsides closed in on The Field. As we snaked our way through the back roads within a mile of our destination we wondered, "How did anyone in Hollywood ever find this place?!"

As we drove down the long unassuming driveway it looked just like the movie. There is a modest gravel parking lot and in it a permanent souvenir stand. Besides that, everything was just as if Ray Liotta, Kevin Costner, and James Earl Jones walked off the shoot last week.

We slowly forced our car-seat-molded bodies out of the CRV. We stretched and looked, mentally checking off everything we expected to see. Field? Check. House? Check. Corn field? Check. And it was all as beautiful as you would expect.

This was a moment. Taking it in. "Wow, we're here. Wow--this looks just like the movie we watched last night. Wow. This is cool." (fist bump)

There weren't too many people on the field and the pitcher's mound and batter's box just opened up. We grabbed the bucket of balls, bats, gloves and headed toward the mound in hurried anticipation.

"Man they're serious," a man loudly whispered to his son as he looked at our bucket.

We threw for a few minutes so I could loosen up, readying to pitch to Slate. He then did some windmills with the bat in each hand. This is when the experience changed.

As soon as you start playing ball, your perspective changes from taking it all in, to focusing on a 5 1/2 oz little white ball. I was focusing on getting it over the plate. Slate was trying to get this huge 34" wooden bat around in time. We both realized the air conditioning was off and the sun was slamming.

Slate finally picked up his usual 32"-5 bat and drove a deep shot to left center 30 feet from the corn. This too solicited a positive comment from from one of the onlookers.

(By the way, the grass was perfect. Green, lush, flawlessly mowed and not one weed in sight.)

We didn't want to hog the plate (and we were pretty flippin hot!) so after one bucket we moved out of the way. We sat in the shade next to each other, talked and took it all in again. "Let's get a drink out of the cooler." "Great idea!"

We had a catch down the 3rd base line and later in the outfield. He caught some with his glove and some with my 34 year old glove. I hit him grounders and line drives at short. And I hit him pop flies to center. Somehow between playing ball and taking pictures we spent about three hours on the field. A couple times we were the only people on the field. Time flew.

All the gear we took went back into the car with some dirt from the sacred field of fathers and sons.

The cost to play on the field? Zero. Just sign the guest book and if you want, put some money in the unassuming donations slot.

Was there a moment? Did you feel something magical? Was it unbelievable? In the moment, probably not. Don't misunderstand; t was cool. We loved it. And even though Slate said (a-la Ray Kinsella), "Dad? Did you want to have a catch?" It wasn't emotional. But I could sense that the experience was packed with emotions.

Perhaps as we played ball, took pictures and sweated like dogs we were collecting emotions that we will dole out in days to come. Emotions that Slate will dole out if he has a son someday. Stories he may tell as he holds up an ancient glove and retells the story and says, "This was my dad's--I used it in Iowa--it still probably has some of that dirt on it."

Emotions I will dole out as I recount this experience back to Slate hopefully decades into the future or to a grand child. Or as I tell Sandra about it yet again, remembering back to when our kids were still kids.

(Or heck--the emotions I'm doling out to myself right now as I try to write this...)

We will remember the Field and our time there. We will remember driving 15 hours just to horse around on a ball field in the middle of nowhere. We will remember that Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill and Tom Slater were tied to baseball long before we existed.

We will remember all the ball games from T-ball, little league and Babe Ruth league. We will remember that somehow beyond our comprehension, there is an Amazing God--a Perfect Father who has tied all these things together and is the source of it all.

And I am thankful that going to Iowa with Slate wasn't one of those "someday" ideas that never happens. Perhaps my friend Mike has inspired me this past year, to not count on "someday" because we never know how many days we get.

Why not make something happen in the life of someone you love?

see all the trip pics

check out the Field of Dreams Movie Site website

The "Rax" Blessing ;-)

2010-07-29T09:45:00.003-05:00

I opened this delightful anonymous letter last night:

"I just wanted to thank you for sharing your special ability to translate God's words into practical life lessons, which my wife and I have applied to our lives and in turn completely transformed our lives and especially our marriage."

"I remember that you once said you met your wife while working at Rax and I was shocked to learn that Rax still exists in Indiana, so I thought you might enjoy."

Enclosed were Rax gift certificates and the address of the Anderson Rax. So me and the missus will be road-tripping for a BBC soon ;-)

Thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Anonymous for a very unique and special blessing!

Time Machine Photo Shoot

2010-07-26T08:53:00.004-05:00

So I get a message over a month ago from a friend I hadn't seen since 1983:

"Hey Morgan, I love you photos I've seen on Facebook. Would you do our son's senior pictures?"

Tracey, Rick & I were in band @ Kokomo High School. We had probably marched, bused, and hung out for literally hundreds of hours. But like so many high school relationships, I don't think we'd seen each other since the night in May when I graduated.

Rick & Tracey started dating the summer before their junior year and never stopped. They married in college, found a job and life has taken them to Minnesota.

So here we were again. The three of us. Looking over at the marching field we'd lived on 27 years earlier. And there was their handsome son, Matt; the same age as we were when we'd last seen each other.

No other experience to date has given me the sensation of time travel as this. It was eerily and yet warmly profound.

Hair color and hair lines different. Everyone would now wrestle in a heavier weight class. But the eyes...they don't change. Remembrances make eyes dance in the same way they did 27 years ago. But still...our eyes revealed the wisdom and experiences of our mid-fortied lives.

During the shoot I couldn't shake the odd sensation of it all. As if I'd driven to meet them in a flux-capacitor-driven DeLorean. Physically it was different. Relationally it was the same. And I think we all felt the sense of how unique and fun the moment was.

A few days later we sat at Starbucks as I handed over the photo discs. We talked for two hours (to poor Matt's dismay). Words came easily and smiles followed. For people the same age with kids of like ages there seems no end to the commonality.

And I have to say that Rick and Tracey are good people. They always were. I can tell they still are and they've raised two more good people in Matt & Samantha. As I sat with them I was reminded of the gift that good people are.

I asked Tracey, "So what have you learned?"

She paused and said simply, "What haven't I learned?"

Rick turned the question back on me. I thought for a second and said, "That everything I thought was important when I was Matt's age isn't important...perhaps that nothing's more important than humility...and that it really is all about relationships..."

And as I said those words I knew this was one of those special moments that really was all about relationships. Special that even though we'd been separated by 27 years of life, we could pickup and not be in those awkward moments caught fishing for words.

Life is unpredictable; old friends, comforting. And God winds through it all.

Here's to time machine photo shoots. (drink)

Art of Love

2010-07-19T10:19:00.005-05:00

One of the most poignant moments recently was watching a young friend of mine dance his first dance with his bride.

Ben and Cara are just out of college. I met Ben when he was in 6th or 7th grade. They have a lovely spirit to them. They want to change the world and God has given them the intelligence and passion to do just that.

Ben has a boyish face. And a boyish toothy smile that hasn't changed much since he was in middle school. And he has a boyish peacefulness about him. Soft spoken with words of weight.

And here's this optimistic young man with a boyish face dancing with his beautiful bride, looking anything but girlish.

And as they danced to this song, he quietly sang this chorus to her with his boyish honesty in a way that held back nothing.

Give a listen, then come back. click here.

I listened to that as I drove into church yesterday and it melted me. It conveys all the sentiment I have for Sandra. All that I can never say or capture with words. And the chorus made me think of my relationship with Christ. All that I can never capture in all my prayed words.

A true sense of love recalibrates my heart and mind by reminding me how fortunate I am. Blessed to have the love of my life in Sandra and the love of a Father that fathers me perfectly.

I think I'll listen to that song again...and knock off some of the crust that the grit of this world can cake on. And maybe inside, I'll become more boyish...if only for the moment.

-Peace

I love a unique gift

2010-07-17T08:32:00.005-05:00

click pic to enlarge

My friend came to my front door yesterday morning, extended this to me and said in his stoic deliberate cadence,

"This is for you. Hang it up in your wood shop."

He who works with is HANDS is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and HEAD is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands, his head and his HEART is...
AN ARTIST.
-St. Francis of Assisi

He also threw in that it was handmade by _______ (excuse me, his relative's name didn't stick).

What a great way to start the day. Someone took the time to do this by hand. Someone thought that this somehow reflected who I am. And someone thought enough to frame it and deliver it by hand.

It sounds simple but the reality is that more often than not, what we're giving to friends, are the virtual "things" on Facebook. "Here's a cocktail for you." And friends pop over way to rarely. And too often gifts are not a reflection of the recipient, but rather reflect a social obligation.

Life is short. Friends who "get you" are invaluable. And nothing quite goes with French press coffee like a good friend on your porch with a thoughtful gift. Thanks Mike ;-)

Timing is Everything (the Nick Swisher Incident)

2010-07-10T08:59:00.005-05:00

"This is a factory: Do NOT go outside the yellow lines. Do NOT take pictures. Do NOT touch anything."

Those were the kind yet firm words that started our tour of the Louisville Slugger Factory yesterday.

A few minutes into the tour, Slater and I found ourselves straggling at the end of our 20+ person group; Slate garbed in Yankees cap and Babe Ruth t-shirt.

As we looked closely at the station where finishing touches were put on bats, an employee looked at Slater and put his index finger into the air (the international sign for "wait a minute") and disappeared around the corner.

Slate and I just looked at each other as the space increased between us and our tour group. The "West Coast Choppers"-shirted man returned holding a bat.

"This is a rush order--Nick Swisher's bat for the All-Star game." He pushed it towards Slater; his eyes got big.

"Take it." Slate's smile eclipsed his face as he grabbed the bat.
"Take his picture," the employee said to me firmly.
"Here, get a shot of the order," he commanded.
We smiled like idiots and soaked it in.

As we caught up with the tour, stricken with serious cases of perma-grin, you would have thought Slate met Nick Swisher himself. You have to admit, getting your 14 year old hands on a bat before Nick Swisher does in the All-Star game is pretty darn cool.

Oh yeah, and Nick Swisher grew up in Parkersburg WV. The same city Slater's grandmother Sue lives in. The same city in which most of the Slater family was born. (Slater is my mother's maiden name.)

Later we thought of all the little things that contributed to that moment:
+ We got a later start to the trip than we planned.
+ In a split second we careened off the highway to check out the Adidas Outlet store.
+ Slater decided to wear his Yankees gear instead of a red non-Yankee ensemble.

You get the idea. A moment happened and we were fortunate enough to catch it--or more aptly--for it to catch us.

The Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum is a GREAT little trip for baseball fans. We learned a lot and kudos to the Louisville Slugger Co. for using one building for corporate offices, factory, and fan experiences --all set in an old building in a charming downtown.

Check out pictures on my Facebook page or here.

Music: Mirror of our Culture

2010-06-19T08:21:00.005-05:00

click to watch on youtube

Confessions of a pastor time: I tend to like secular music more than Christian music.

That's probably because I grew up outside the church, and so music was the only language my soul understood through my formative years.

I have a special love for the singer/songwriter genre. This song, "Oh the Divorces" by Tracey Thorn is an example of why.

Tracey Thorn goes right at the reality that's touching all of us seemingly every week; divorce. I appreciate the honesty of her lyric and the way her music captures the frailty of our marriages.

And statistically I know that the truth she sings of is true whether a couple is Christian or not. So her secular song is sadly apropos for all of us, no matter what we say we believe.

I don't like wallowing in this type of song; but sometimes my soul and mind needs to be confronted with this kind of reality, in the way only a song can. I've recently read stats about divorce, but they didn't hit me deep inside the way this song did.

Peace--especially to those touched by and in the grip of divorce...

Vuvuzela: leadership miss

2010-06-17T09:14:00.002-05:00

Fact: The FIFA World Cup comes around once every four years, whereupon the world's greatest soccer teams play until one team remains.

Fact: Players, coaches, television viewers, broadcasters are distracted and annoyed by the sounds of the vuvuzela; these turbo-charged-steroid-enhanced bee hives from Hades.

Fact: FIFA's leadership chose to do nothing about the vuvuzela at matches.

This is a great example of why leadership exists; to step in and make prudent decisions that are in every one's best interest. When leadership shies away, everyone loses.

It's much like the parent who refuses to actively parent their children. Pretty soon the children are a mess, parents are frustrated and no one wants to go over to their house. (FIFA's leadership miss is doing nothing to attract new fans "over to their house.")

Leadership opportunities are all around us, and every time we refuse to engage, people get more used to not being guided--get used to doing whatever makes everyone happy--and that rarely nets positive results.

Leadership matters.

Peace.

Facebook Significance

2010-06-10T21:43:00.004-05:00

I am usually one of the first to grimace at yet another piece of Facebook triviality or "poo" reference (although I'm guilty of the latter). But tonight I had a great IM with one of my FB friends whom I don't really know.

Here's the exchange with a changed name.

John:
Can I bother you for some religious advice?

Me:
shoot

John:
I went to Oakbrook 2 years ago for about 1 1/2 years...and stuff went bad in my life and I can't seem to not blame God for it! So I quit going.

Me:
Read the Bible much?

John:
Not since I quit going--I didn't even believe til my buddy turned me on to Oakbrook--but the year and a half I went there, I did read it some, but not a lot.

Me:
When I read the Bible I see a lot of bad stuff happening. I also notice that it's man who causes the bad stuff and not God. I notice the same thing in our lifetime.

John:
I am sure it is my fault just don't know how to reverse it so I blame God. Make sense?

Me:
Not really. That like, because stuff is going bad in my life, I'm going to blame the guy across the street.

John:
Never looked at it that way--that makes sense to me.

Me:
God shines light on things--then they make sense. Satan like us to be confused and think illogical things like "it's God's fault."

John:
Is there a book in the Bible to help me? I just feel lost.

Me:
Yes. Start with John. It's after Luke in the New Testament. I bet it will make sense. Then just keep reading from there. If something doesn't make sense, ask me--and I'll shine some light on it ;-)

John:
thanks

Me:
No problem John--I'm glad you asked me this tonight. I'll pray for you after I sign off, if that's ok?

John:
That's great I need all kinds of help lol.

Me:
I'll do it then bro. We can talk / IM later ;-)

John:
ok, thank you Morgan

(end)

That was by far the most profound Facebook exchange I've ever had. I was glad he IM'd me. And I will be praying for him. And I will be wondering who else is watching...as I fart around on Facebook...

The Irony of Everyone Having a Mobile Device

2010-06-03T12:11:00.002-05:00

I love technology. I love that virtually everyone has an iPhone, a Droid, a Blackberry. So much capability, far beyond that of a phone, and we have them everywhere we go. We even evangelize to our friends about the brand and model . And yet...

We seem less accessible.

It seems that we now answer the omnipresent mobile device less frequently. As I call phones that go unanswered, I now picture the "callee" looking at their phone, then casually placing it back in their pocket.

And it seems the emails instantly captured be these devices are replied to with less consistency and speed (or if ever) even though it's in the palm of our hand.

And I do appreciate not having interruptions by whoever happens to be calling. But with all the technology in our hands, it is ironic how fewer calls and voice mails are returned. We seem to live in the moment more than ever.

I think we love being able to make contact with anyone we want whenever we like. Just not sure we like being contacted by anyone wherever we happen to be. I wonder if our zeal for the mobile device is more about what I want to do, rather than what someone may want of me.

But again, I do love technology.

I love it when the Church comes together!

2010-06-02T11:01:00.003-05:00

photo by Anthony Mosley

I am excited to speak this Sunday at First Congregational Church in Kokomo. I was talking on the phone with Jon Tice (what a great guy!) and just threw in, "Hey, if you need any help speaking let me know." He shot back with, "What are you doing June 6th?"

I love it when churches "cross-pollinate" and conversely it troubles me that all these "franchises" keep so much to ourselves. I am so glad Jon and I were able to connect in this "chance" conversation. It's so good to be able to work together.

So I'm looking forward to this Sunday with a lot of anticipation and excitement. It's all for God and His people.

CRAZY new view of MOTIVATION

2010-05-24T11:47:00.003-05:00

WOW! Click the pic to watch a mind-bending 10 minute talk with remarkable data on how we as humans respond to incentives; or in other words, what drives us. It's by Dan Pink.

It makes sense that's life changing and should be culture-changing. DON'T BLOW BY THIS!

Reel in the Flash

2010-05-22T09:45:00.004-05:00

The worst thing about a picture taken with a camera's built in flash (whether it's a point & shoot or a DSLR) is it looks too darned "flashy." (The top pic was taken with a $1,000 DSLR's pop up flash with normal default settings.)

Every camera from cheap to expensive has flash settings. You can simply dial back the flash intensity (usually -1,-2,-3, etc). You can also increase the flash, but that's rarely necessary.

The bottom picture was taken with the same camera settings, but simply dialing back the flash a few steps.

So find the flash settings in your camera menu and start getting warmer "less flashy" pictures!