BabuLife

Annoying!

There is nothing in the email world that drives me more nuts than email urban legends. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones where some missionary in Uganda needs your help and wants to deposit a very large sum of money into your bank account and is wiling to share a percentage with you if you'll just provide your bank account and routing number.  I know there are many who are just so kindhearted and innocent that they just don't think that people could actually decieve others in this manner.  Someone was kind enough to put together this presentation to help people with this issue.  Check it out here. 

Thanks to my wife for sending this link to me.  Spread the word people!

Colorado Trip

Here's a pic of me and our youth director.  He spreads the gospel of the Jedi way.  He's ok in my book.

In Colorado

I'm sitting right now in Granby, Colorado with our youth group.  I've been leading worship for their annual Spring Break Ski Trip.  Having a blast!  I am definitely feeling the effects of age.  Don't teenagers ever sleep?!?

Grace Numbers 3/12/06

Spring Break was in the air which means attendance was a littler lower than the week before.

• Total attendance 417

Songselect Worship Tool

I finally broke down and enrolled in the CCLI Songselect Advanced subscription.  I have been receiving junk mail on this for over 2 years and continually felt that it was an unnecessary expense at $129 a year. After hearing Phil Ayers at BaldWorshipLeader.com talking about it on a podcast, I felt I should check out the demo. I admit I was wrong. 

This is exactly the tool I've needed for 4 years.  You can download lead sheets with chord charts and also change the keys then print them.  Only interested in the lyrics and copyright info?  Well just click on the lyrics and print them off without the chords and music.  You can also listen to audio clips of the songs.  I'm loving it!  It saddens me to think of all the countless hours wasted transposing songs to a different key than the one it's written in.  What could I have done with those hours?  I guess I'll find out.  Probably just post more goofiness on my blog.

If you're a worship leader, this tool might revolutionize your worship planning.  I can see how it can really help.  Has anyone else used this tool?  Anyone thinking about using it?

Check out the demo here.

In the Sun

Hurricane Katrina has come and gone and much of the news coverage has also.  Except of course for the media trying to pin anything and everything on George W Bush. I think sometimes if they could they'd blame Bush for creating the hurricane. There's more news out there that is not being reported.  Families still displaced along with a huge rebuilding effort.  Not to mention the stories of all the people who continue to flood into that region to help rebuild.  There are still folks who continue to participate in reaching out to that region through contributions of money, time and materials.

On iTunes, there's a song that Michael Stipe from R.E.M. has recorded with that dude from Coldplay, Chris Martin.  The song is called "In the Sun".  All the proceeds are going towards the In the Sun foundation for victims of both Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region.  It's only 5 bucks for all 6 versions of the song including a live version recorded with Coldplay at Austin City Limits.  Check it out if you're looking for some new music.

In the Sun on iTunes

Do or do not...

I met the other day with a local theatre company that is going to bid on our curtains for the stage.  I've also been communicating with a company from another state about this topic.  I have discovered that theatrical curtain companies have employees that are a bit eccentric.  Very "theatre arts" if that makes sense.

When I met the other day with two of the reps from the curtain company, I gave them the tour of the stage.  After explaining what we were looking to do, the first words out of the sales reps mouth were "Oh no...that's impossible.  You can't do that."  My internal response was..."Ok, we'll just get someone who can".  I HATE the "that's impossible" response.  At least try for crying out loud!  We left with them "giving it a try" then returning with a bid.  We'll see what happens.  As master Yoda would say..."Do or do not, there is no try".  I don't know if they have it in 'em.

Grace Numbers 3/5/06

Another great Sunday!  Now the other day I had someone ask if anybody has given me trouble by posting these numbers for being "about the numbers and not the souls".  I kind of figured I didn't really need to spend much time explaining this but let me just clear it up if there's any confusion....church is NOT all about numbers.  It's about the lives being changed.  The more people that cross through the door, the more opportunities we have to help share the love of Christ and the Gospel.  So...now that I've gotten that out of the way...here is the total for today:

• 465 total in attendance.

3 more Sundays to the big move!

View From the Stage: 3/5/06

What a weekend!  Today we had a wonderfully talented dancer worship God through an interpretive dance.  Carolynn does such an amazing job at coreographing her dances it really does get you choked up.  Yeah...I think a tear started building up in my eye...I admit it.  The wonderful thing about Carolynn is that she is so aware and concerned about the presentation of such a sensitive thing for many people in the church (by "the church" I mean that in general, not specifically Grace).  I mean a LOT goes into her prepping that blows me away.  Everything from the expression on her face, to the outfit she's wearing.  Just sensitive enough to present it in a way that draws people to God and not to what she's doing on the stage.  Dancing in worship can be such a beautiful expression of the joy we have in knowing Christ, if done right.  And Carolynn knows exactly what it takes to display that joy.  Thanks Carolynn!

For those of you who were in attendance, you can get the song she danced to on itunes: You Are Still Holy by Rita Springer.

I've Been Tagged!

Bobby over at My Worship Revolution has tagged me.  And Bek, if you're reading this, I'm also responding to your original tag.

Four Jobs I've Had:

1. Hardee's Cook (8 Hours)
2. 800 Phone Number Operator
3. Auditor (Sprint)
4. Medical Account Manager

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:

1. Hmmmm...this is a toughy...ANYTHING STAR WARS!!!
2. Indiana Jones (All three of them)
3. The Rookie
4. X-Men United

Four Places I've Lived:

1. Raytown, Missouri
2. Doha, Qatar
3. Blue Springs, Missouri
4. Olathe, Kansas

Four Shows I Like to Watch:

1. King of Queens
2. That 70's Show
3. King of the Hill
4. Grey's Anatomy

Four Sites I Visit Every day:

1. TheForce.Net
2. VisitGraceChurch.com
3. LifeWithLittleWomen
4. WorshipTogether.Com

Four Things I Want To Do Before I Die (Not in any particular order):

1. Walk all three of my daughters down the aisle.
2. Go on a nice long vacation alone with my wife.
3. Lead my daughters to the Lord.
4. Record another CD (this time with original music)

You've Been Tagged:

1. Doug
2. Heath
3. Tom
4. Brian