Jimmy recently attend this years homecoming at Lake Gibson High School. He attended the event with his high-school sweetheart Breanna, but paused for a moment to take this picture with his true love, his mom. (for those of you who know Elyshia, she's standing on the steps).
Jimmy's Varsity Soccer Jersey Number 7 Cut Into His Hair
I spent this past Sunday evening with our church's youth group painting pumpkins, as part of our Fall Party. The kids had a great time with this and other activities.
Drew as an Assistant Referee - 09.27.08Here is short fun video that deals with 'God Questions'. We all have some questions we would like to ask God.
Riggers and Setup Crew
Client's Executive Team talks over things with Rob during rehearsals
Me with my 26 inch Red
Rob with his 27 inch RedRan across this article at RelevantMagazine.com
Bumping Into God
By John Greco
When I was in high school, I made a hobby out of sitting in the studio audiences of late-night talk shows. I regularly visited the sound stages of The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Tickets were free; the only real cost was standing in line for a few hours.
Since both shows are taped in the afternoon, but not aired until the late evening, my friends and I would go home after a taping and eagerly wait to see “our performances.” During the taping, we would try to cheer just a little longer than everyone else or raise our arms just a little higher than expected during a standing ovation. Really, anything would do, as long as we could proudly show people later that night: “There's my arm... Right there. No, not that one. The one next to it. I'm pretty sure anyway...” or “Did you hear me? The guy cheering… That was me. No, I know it's me. I remember cheering just like that. Trust me.”
On one occasion, at a taping of Letterman, my friend J.P. and I had the good fortune to be seated in the second row, right on the aisle. About twenty minutes into the show, David Letterman stepped out into the audience for some question-and-answer. After the bit, he headed back toward the stage, right by us. Seeing my opportunity, I extended my arm out into the aisle as far as possible. Either he'd have to stop and shake my hand or I'd smack him in the crotch – either way, a good story.
Mr. Letterman saw my hand, stopped and held his hand out to shake. Unfortunately, J.P., who was sitting next to me, hadn't noticed my hand in the aisle, and so we both grabbed the talk show host's hand at the same moment and shook it violently for about a minute. It was kind of awkward, I'll admit, but I could still say I “met” David Letterman. In fact, for weeks after, I would look for any way to work that story into a conversation. “Go see a movie? Sure. You know who's probably not in the movie? David Letterman. You know he and I are friends, right?”
Looking back, it's certainly silly. However, it wasn't David Letterman as a person that I thought would impress people. Everyone knows Letterman, but for me, he was no longer just a face on TV; I had met him and he had met me. His story and mine had bumped into each other, even if only for a brief moment.
For a lot of people, being a Christian means holding certain beliefs and doing certain things, while avoiding others. But I think being a Christian, in some ways, is more like my experience with David Letterman.
Everyone knows about God. We are told He's the One who created everything that exists. He's also the One we're supposed to thank when we get a good grade, have a child, or win the Superbowl. The Bible tells us about God, but it does so much more than that. In large part, the Bible is a collection of the memories of people whose stories had bumped into God's, whether for a brief moment or for a lifetime. These were regular people – farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, slaves and shepherds – but they were confronted with God Himself and their lives were changed forever.
In the Old Testament, when the nation of Israel crossed through the Jordan river into the Promised Land, God told them to place twelve stones at the site as a memorial (Joshua 4:1-7). He wanted them to remember what He had done for them and to tell their children. Their stories had bumped into God's, and the pile of stones would serve as a way to bring it up in conversation: “Those stones? Yeah, those are from when God delivered our people. I was there you know.”
The stories of people meeting God don't end with the close of the Bible either. History is full of people who had an encounter with Jesus and whose lives were never the same. I realize that the accounts in Scripture are unique, primarily because they were inspired by God Himself, but the stories of people meeting God continue to this day nevertheless. Every person who has met Jesus and had their life changed by Him has one.
Followers of Jesus don't have everything figured out. Sometimes they have doubts and questions. Sometimes they sin. They don't always know why bad things happen to good people and they can't give you eight simple steps to a happy, prosperous life. Christians are just people whose stories, at some point, bumped into God's story and the two plot-lines became one.
Elyshia with Ethan poolside.
Jimmy Helping Camper Into Harness
Set For ASCD Show In Nashville
Fred, Phil, and Joe at one of Paragon Studios ADR sound rooms.
Joe, Cat, and Rob and the gang scouting some locations in the woods.
Rob, Phil, Dirk, Joe, and Jim (not seen) go over the 'Endure' budget.
Drew and Elyshia at the American Legion Awards
Me with the first catch of the day
Rob, Jesse, Joe heading out
Drew with his teacher and some friends at the Video Awards.
I am on Spring Break this week with my family in Savannah. We are visiting with my daughter Heather and her family. This is the first time in a good number of years that we have taken off for Spring Break. It has been a very enjoyable time.
I have attached a photo of my newest grandson, Ethan (Yes, I have a grandson, two to be exact). I took this picture because, usually when you see pictures of babies they are resting and very peaceful looking. This, however, is what they look like a lot. Not what you normally think of.
How do people normally view us? Do they see who we truly are? Do we merely put on a front for the world and then live different when not being watched?
The following link will take you to an article titled "Thanking God At The Grammys". It is very good read on the importance of living up to our praise of God and not being hypocritical. Each of us have trouble with this, including me at times. Please take a moment to read the article.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7603
Jimmy and Drew at Detroit Tigers Spring Training Game
Drew receiving his Final Four medal.
Drew and his team mates and coaches.I came across this article on www.relevantmagazine.com. It was written by Summer Lee Carlson, whom the magazine describes as a bewildered 24-year-old who just graduated from college and still feels like she's playing “dress up” with the grownups downtown at work.
I feel it is a great read regarding 'doing' vs. 'being' in our walk with the Lord.
Purpose Driven Life? Summer Lee Carlson
I once heard a friend say he felt that at the age of 19 he should have already done something along the lines of curing cancer. Granted he was being dramatic, but I think he wasn’t far from describing the feelings many have in this society. The first question most people ask and are asked when meeting someone is "What do you do?"
I too feel the pressure to do "great" things and have been told on a number of occasions that I am "special." I’ve heard the often taken out of context Jeremiah 29:11 "God has a plan for my life," along with numerous spiritual clichés one is fed if they are in the church for more than a day. And I have dreamed of being that “someone” who does that “something” incredibly life and world altering. And now, upon entering adulthood, I am loathing myself for falling into the trap of daily 9-to-5 cubicle life and wondering why I didn't major in something more adventurous in college.
Ironically, those who claim the title "follower of Christ" should be least stressed when it comes to having purpose and being successful. And while I have heard the reason for this to be "God is in control and is looking at the finished puzzle of your life as we speak" I would even have to disagree with that. Yes, God is in control. But does "seek first the kingdom of heaven" have anything to do with drawing up a personal goal sheet or putting faith in the idea that the big guy in the sky is handing down pieces one by one to make a metaphorical puzzle drawn specifically for you?
Usually when 27 middle and high schoolers gather at our church they would be asking 'where's the pizza?' However, on this occasion they were fully aware of the fact they would not be eating for some 30 hours. We gathered this past Sunday to take part in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine project. Each of them were nervous about not eating for thirty hours, yet they came with the anticipation of having fun and helping others in need. We did both.
Our time together consisted of a number of activities that included; prayer, bible reading, writing letters to missionaries, washing our feet, gathering food, feeding the homeless, building a cardboard hut village, and komodo dragon dodge ball. It was a blast.
The moment that moved me the most was our participation in the Sunday morning worship service. The young people sang a couple of music numbers. The first number was The Lord Reigns, but it was on the second number that I was moved to tears. As I led the group in singing Take My Life and Let It Be, I looked across the faces of each of them. Some were new members to our group others I have know for quite some time. I am not naive enough to think that they each were fully aware of what they were singing. Yet, the thought of them surrendering themselves to our Lord brought a special touch to my heart. I love them each and had been praying that the Lord would challenge them during this time and begin to use each of them in a special way. He fully answered my prayers.
You can check out more photos of our time together at our flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/saylakeland. Also, I will have a short highlight video of our time together posted soon.
This video is an interview Randy Larson, an investor in the Endure film project. The interview was conducted by Gary White of The Ledger.
The following is a great article regarding the importance of trust in martketing relationships. Unfortunately, in recent years the church as lost the trust of the general population. This in turn makes it all the more difficult for us to establish the all important relationships needed to bring the lost to Christ. As with marketing a brand, we (the church) must rebuild our trust by those who need us most. The rebuilding will be done one relationship at a time. Start today.
Thie following article was taken from kentshaffer.com.
Last fall, Harris Interactive discovered that people are growing more and more skeptical of the statements that companies make. In fact, 44% of poll respondents think all 17 industries included in the study are generally not honest and trustworthy. They normally don’t believe company statements. From 2003-2007, such distrust grew from 37% to 44% of respondents.
Because people are growing less trusting of advertising and direct messages from companies, it is important to try to create relationships with your target audience. Relationships build trust. They tear down misconceptions, doubts, and stereotypes. And they do so because they make the unfamiliar familiar.
Of course, not just any relationship will do. You must be authentic. Be transparent. Accentuate your desire to meet their needs with your product or service. If money is your priority, it will likely show and compromise the relationship’s authenticity. But if the customer is your priority, customers will notice and begin giving you the priceless gift of their trust.
People are most loyal to companies they trust. When trust becomes increasingly scarce, it makes earning it all the more valuable.
Audience arriving for Pics On The Promenade
Audience preparing to watch CasablancaFor the past few months, I have been encouraging the youth of our church to visit a website called Freerice.com. This site is basically a vocabulary game. While it is really fun to play, its real importance is the contribution of rice to people in hunger across the globe. Some teachers in our county are even using it in their classroom. It is fun, educational, and makes a difference in peoples lives.
Check it out at www.freerice.com.
The site comes with the following WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance...
Perry Noble of NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC) recently blogged about seven joy killers in ministry. Here is a quick summary:
To read Perry’s thoughts on each area, check out the original post.
This article taken from www.relevantmagazine.com.
Turning On New Eyes
By Travis Mamone
I wish I had Mother Teresa’s eyes. Throughout her life, she never saw the poor as just lowly people; she saw Christ Himself. She saw Him hiding behind the dirty faces and the sickly bodies. She thoroughly believed it when Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me.” Knowing that she was serving her King in disguise, loving others came so natural to Mother Teresa.
Unfortunately, I do not see Jesus in the faces of the poor, or anyone else for that matter. I see everyone as idiots.
Loving people does not come easy for me. When your father walks out on you as a child, and you’re constantly bullied in school, you tend to have some major trust issues. I tried to make friends, but it rarely ever turned out the way I planned. Usually my peers would just tell me get lost; I wasn’t cool or pretty enough to be their friend. Some of the kids, however, would seem to want to be my friend, but in the end they only wanted to make a fool of me. Consequently, I’ve learned to keep a safe distance from people unless they invite me into their lives, and even then I’m still skeptical.
Working with the public hasn’t helped my attitude towards people either. I currently work at a public library, and I’ve seen quite the collection of characters. On one hand, I’ve met some of the sweetest, most lovable angels in the world. For example, this one old man who comes to the library every couple of weeks, knows all the staff members by name, and likes to tell stories about his childhood in Brooklyn. He said that since his retirement, he suddenly found himself with plenty of time on his hands. To keep himself busy, he has become an avid reader, and he says he greatly appreciates what the library does for the community. It is always a pleasure to see him.
On the other hand, I’ve also come across some of the most obnoxious, ignorant, creepy people ever, and they tend to stick out in my mind more. I’ve have people argue with me over a 15 cent fine. I’ve seen parents willingly let their children run around and make huge messes. And to top it all off, a lot of our patrons (especially teenagers) still haven’t figured out that you’re supposed to be quiet in a library.
The late comedian Bill Hicks once said, “We are a virus with shoes.” When I look around and see all the terrible things human beings are capable of—murder, oppression, destruction—I sometimes wish that God would cause a huge Old Testament-styled flood or plague to wipe away the ugliness of mankind. Yet when Jesus was on the cross, He never said, “Wait until my father hears about this.” He said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” Jesus saw that all people, regardless of background or attitude, were in the same fix. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 TNIV). We’re all thrust into this world with no direction, no choice about where we come from, and no idea where to look for relief. Yet the Bible also says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And He asks that we love each other the way He loves us.
There’s a Sara Groves song that says, “Loving a person just the way they are is no small thing, it takes some time to see things through.” I’m learning this more and more each day. My friend Barbara works with troubled teenagers (many of whom are regular library patrons), and she says a lot of the kids she sees come from some pretty rough homes. Many of her teens have parents that are either addicted to drugs, abusive, or just don’t care. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have the very same people that made you not care about you. When I see the kids come into the library I work at and they act up, maybe they are really just begging for some kind of attention. It is the wrong way to get attention, of course, and we kick them out when they get too rowdy. But now I am starting to see there’s more there than just a taste for trouble.
Years ago I met some one on an online writing workshop. He was a great poet—he’s been on Def Poetry Jam several times—but as a critic he was terrible. His comments were always brutal; he picked apart every grammatical error, every poorly structured sentence, and never told me how I could improve. He made me feel like I could never be a good enough writer. I’m no Hemingway by any means, but I don’t think he had to be that brutal. Would it have hurt to say at least one thing he liked, or maybe give a few encouraging words? I wasn’t his only target, though; he gave nearly every one in the workshop terrible reviews. He reminded me too much of the schoolyard bullies who mercilessly picked on me, and with each critique I grew more annoyed with him. One day I finally lost my temper, left him a profanity-laced message that almost got me into trouble, and we haven’t spoken since.
Recently I got to thinking about him, and I started getting mad. In my head I cursed him out and wished that every bad thing would happen to him. Suddenly an idea popped into my head: why not pray for him? So I did. I swallowed my pride, and prayed that God would bless him and guide him throughout his life. After I finished praying, I felt relieved. Instead of wasting my energy thinking negatively of him, I let go.
Now don’t think I’m saying I never had another negative thought about some one after that. Changing one’s mental attitude never just happens overnight. But for now I’m trying to get into the habit of praying for people instead of thinking negatively. I doubt I’ll ever be Mother Teresa, but I think I’m now starting to see things through.
Our church youth group headed to Winter Jam 2008 in Orlando, on January 19. The kids had a great time and I really enjoyed taking them and spending some time with them. Believe it or not I think my favorite group was Skillet. You can check out more of our youths photos by viewing our Flickr account.
This video is an uncut version of interview with Gary White of The Ledger regarding the feature film project of which I am a producer.
This video is from World Vision, showing what the 30 Hour Famine project is about. The youth at our church will be participating, February 17-18.
An interview with Gary Gross who served as Technical Director during script development for Endure. Endure is an independent feature film project for which I am a producer. You can find out more about Endure by visiting the website www.enduremovie.com.
Our youth group will be participating in the 30 Hour Famine, an international youth movement to fight hunger. The 30 Hour Famine for our young people will take place February 17-18. It will bring our group closer together, feed hungry children, and hopefully change our world forever.
This article found at www.churchrelevance.com.
Usually the congregation gives the church money, but what happens when the roles are reversed?
In December 2005, Watermark Community Church (Dallas, TX) found out when they gave each attendee an envelope with $5 to $1,000 and told them:
You are to use that money to further the fame of who Jesus Christ is.
All together, $30,000 was distributed. Senior Pastor Todd Wagner described it as a way to live out the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30. Some of the money helped build a well in Africa. Some bought Christmas presents for the suffering and needy. Each attendee was entrusted with the responsibility to be a good steward of what they were given.
It is a great way to get people to practice in the streets what is preached from the pulpit. And it is a lesson and experience that is not easily forgotten.
