BabuLife

Worship MythBusters

A good friend of mine, Rich Kirkpatrick, has been an integral part of my worship leading growth over the past 5 years or so since meeting him online. We developed a friendship online discussing our struggles, victories and hearts about worship ministry eventually meeting up at conferences.  There are worship leaders, worship pastors and worship pastors of worship leaders and pastors...Rich is one of those guys who not only cares for the music...but cares for and invests greatly in those leading worship each week.

Check out Rich's website www.WorshipMythBusters.com and be sure to listen to his podcast. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here. He's always had a desire to challenge the preconceived ideas and notions of what we typically think worship in the local church is about. 

Win a Free iPod Touch!

The good folks at WorshipPlanning.com are giving away a free iPod touch. All you have to do is guess the order of the most used Christmas songs in 2010. For details, visit their site here.

Be sure and follow them on Twitter! Thanks WorshipPlanning.com for the chance to win!

BabuLife on Facebook

This week I've decided to tinker with some of Typepad's features that I've been lax on integrating.  If you're a Facebook user like myself, check out the new "Like" button on the far right side bar on the blog.  It's below my profile pic and under the "enter your email address".  If you "like" the blog, you will join my page on Facebook which will then automatically feed any new blog entries into your news feed on you Facebook page.  Nifty huh? Especially if you're one who waits anxiously for a new BabuLife blog post, why not have it feed to your Facebook between recent mob requests and farmville requests.  

Thanks for the "like"!

Here's a link to the BabuLife page on Facebook.

Facebook Fan Pages

Recently on Facebook I've been discovering the joy of "Facebook Fan Pages".  Here on BabuLife there are typically three types of readers.  My friends and familiy of Grace Church, friends interested in my Dad's book "Once an Arafat Man", and friends interested in worship ministry and the "All About Worship Podcast".

I thought I'd drop a post with links to three fan pages you might want to join.

25 Things I Hate About Facebook

Wow. I never knew what I've thought could be put into words so perfectly. Thank you Julian Smith.  Unfortunately, since I'm a Twitter user, I break #8 Abusing Status Updates. I've often considered disconnecting my Twitter feed to my Facebook status. But never pulled the trigger. Maybe it's time? Hmmm...

Bam! Take that!

Started the day with 521 emails.  Who's the man? I owned you today Outlook!

The Matrix Runs on Windows

While I'm not completely turned one way or the other (I'm actually using both), there's no denying the great creativity of this video. Whether you're a Windows or Mac user...enjoy!

HT: Tim Howey

Interviewed on AllAboutWorship Podcast

My worship leading friend, Wisdom Moon, came by the Grace offices to do a 30 minute interview for  the AllAboutWorship Podcast.  It was a unique time for me sitting on the other end of the mic being asked the questions.  Be sure to email podcast@allaboutworship.com if you think I might be an adequate co-host with Wisdom.  Sort of the Chewbacca to Wisdom's Han Solo.

Listen to the podcast here.
Visit AllAboutWorship.com

Hallucinate, Desegregate, Mediate, Communicate...

Ok...so I used a little rhyming like these guys to get your attention.  As a Communications Director at Grace, I like to experiment with some of the nifty web 2.0 tools.  Some of my friends think I'm a little "off" for spending so much time with blogging, Facebooking and Twittering.  Yes, maybe I am...but somebody has to keep an eye on what the latest and greatest (or not so greatest) tools are being used.  Here are a couple of communication tools being used by Grace Church to keep our community in the loop:

• Facebook: I started the Grace group page a year ago with 3 people.  We are now up to 125 members.  It's used as a tool to inform folks about upcoming Grace events along with letting people "meet" other Gracers.  I've met several people thru Facebook before meeting them in person.  It's been a great way to meet people attending the church where I typically might not have the chance.  A success.
• Twitter: Ok...this is a new one.  I've been on Twitter now personally since March of this year.  I love it.  I'm addicted. I get it.  Currently there are 24 "followers" of @Graceks on Twitter. What is the benefit of being a part of this?  A Gracer can create a Twitter account (and you don't even have to really use it) then elect to "follow" @Graceks.  You can also indicate that you'd like to receive any updates from @Graceks be sent to your phone by text messaging. You'll get updates on what's being talked about this weekend, reminders about events, church closings and various notifications.  They aren't frequent, but it can serve beneficial.  We'll see if this catches on over the next year like Facebook.
• Church-Wide Calendar: Not really "Web 2.0" but still a great tool.  MyChurchEvents.com is the provider of choice for us.  View upcoming events by "interest group". If you want to see men's events, just select "men" as your interest group.  Great tool.

What tools are you using in your church to communicate?

Mac Confessions and a Little Ditty

Ok Mac users...I think I get it.  After spending nearly 4 hours on Garage Band, I have tasted and seen the joy of the Mac.  Am I a complete convert?  Not yet, but I am definitely sold on this nifty tool.  After receiving my copy of "Garage Band for Dummies" through Amazon, I spent some time at the end of the day tinkering with it.  I couldn't get enough...I had to keep adding layers to a little ditty made on the fly.

Here are the tracks I created for a little short recording:

• Rhythm guitar
• Noodling guitar (leadish)
• Vocal
• Pad on the Keys
• Drum Kit (chimes)
• Drum Kit (not sure what it is...maybe a tom?)
• Rock Organ
• Muted Electric Bass

What I found exciting about the program were all the instrument sounds built into Garage Band. The only instruments I played straight into the program were the two acoustic guitars and the vocal part. The rest were played through the embedded keyboard within the program itself.  I converted by Mac keypad into a keyboard...impressive no?  Not a bad little tool for laying down ideas.  It's portable, sounds great and addictive.

So to my Mac friends out there...I get it.

Oh...and here's the little creation I made with Garage Band below.  Keep in mind, this was just made up after hitting the record button...so I'm not looking for any lyrical critiquing here...just wanting to spread the good news of Garage Band.  Enjoy!