The BEST Thing About Plot Device

To say that the past 27 days (for our family) have been the wildest of wild rides would be a huge understatement.

When RED GIANT launched Seth’s short film, PLOT DEVICE on-line at the end of the day on Tuesday, June 28, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the whirlwind of activity and attention that would surround this film. Having never experienced anything like this, I am pretty much numb. As a good friend told me recently, “regardless of what may or may not happen for Seth and/or others as a result of this, just enjoy it - ride the wave for as long as it will last….”

So, I decided to blog about it and call it “The BEST Thing About Plot Device” - because as you will see, there are plenty of things that have happened that could be the “best” thing, but I have selected what I believe is without question THE Best thing about Plot Device.

Before I get to that, here are some pretty significant “honorable mentions”…..

1. More than 200 different websites have featured Plot Device on their main page

2. Among my favorites are THIS ONE and THIS ONE, and THIS ONE!

3. Seth and Ben’s response to THIS WEBSITE that tracks “pirated” (illegal) music downloads when they learned this site was tracking illegal downloads of the Plot Device Soundtrack - “wow - that’s so awesome that we are getting ripped-off!” - (don’t ask - I don’t get it either!)

4. More than 520,000 views of Plot Device on VIMEO - (and another 29,000 on YouTube)

5. More than 500 different people (with well over 2 million combined followers) have tweeted about Plot Device on Twitter

6. Seth’s recent trip to Los Angeles where he met with representatives from (7) different talent agencies in Hollywood and the trip culminating in finding out that a very high profile TV/Film Producer watched Plot Device, loved it, and wants to meet with Seth!

OK - so all of that is pretty awesome and could easily be the BEST thing about Plot Device, but what follows is absolutely THE best thing about Plot Device:

Ben recently received this e-mail from a 9-year old boy:

Thursday, July 21, 2011 - 6:22pm

Dear Mr. Worley,

I am nine years old and a fan. I decided to make a Lego Plot Device scene and show it to you. I hope you like it. I like your short films! My Dad is sending this for me and he likes your films too.

Best,
Alex
(last name omitted in this blog post out of respect for this boy and his family)

P.S. I hope you will share this with Seth Worley (we couldn't find an email address for him).

BEN’S RESPONSE TO ALEX
Hey Alex!

OH. MY. GOSH.
I can't tell you how much this means to me. This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I actually used to play with Legos as a kid! I would always buy the star wars Lego sets and then combine them to make cooler ones. I also had Lego Studios AND most of the Harry Potter sets!

Anyways, I want you to know that this is HANDS DOWN the best email I've ever received.

Thank you so much for being what I believe to be my first real fan. Don't ever give up your Legos, they will ALWAYS be cool.

And you will always be cool.

God Bless,
Ben Worley

Here is a photo of 9-year old Alex’s Lego Plot Device scene - AMAZING - and by far, THE BEST thing about Plot Device

Plot Device

During the weekend of March 4-6, our oldest son, Seth (along with a cast and crew of some 20 people) invaded not only our home, but our quiet cul-de-sac to make his latest short film entitled, PLOT DEVICE.

BACKGROUND
Seth was contacted by RED GIANT (a company that makes products/software for filmmakers) to create a short film featuring some of RED GIANT's products.

Seth wrote and directed the film. His friends, Neil Hoppe (Producer) and Jeff Venable (Director of the "Behind The Scenes" feature) added to the process. Our youngest son, Ben plays the leading role in the film, and he (along with his friend, Jake Finch) composed and recorded ALL of the music used in the film. (I love this photo of Ben hard at work in a recent recording session)

SYNOPSIS
The story-line of PLOT DEVICE is a kid (Ben Worley) who is interested in a filmmaking book, and is looking on-line to purchase it, when he sees another product called “Plot Device” that interests him. He orders both, and the story unfolds with him going to his mailbox to retrieve the book, but he is more interested in the “device.” He quickly learns that pressing the button on the device literally transports him into the middle of a variety of different genre of film.

PREMIERE
Seth tells me that the "official on-line launch" of PLOT DEVICE takes place on Tuesday, June 28 @ 11:00am (CDT).

To view PLOT DEVICE (and the wonderful "Behind The Scenes" feature), click HERE

Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

This morning in Sunday School, my grandson was asked these questions about his Dad.

His answers are.....well.....priceless!

Please Do It Better Than Me

I don't even know if that is correct grammar. I am certain Karla will correct me!

Tonight, I sent an e-mail to one of the people I consider a "next generation leader" - a dear friend and partner in ministry. I talked about alot of stuff I am dealing with. I did that because everyone in ministry has to have someone to whom they can "vent"......

Through the years, I have heard the phrase quoted in a somewhat jokingly but serious manner - "ministry would be great if it were not for the people."

I know that is such a dumb phrase, but goodness, it is so true.

I need to learn more from Jesus on how he dealt with the people.

People mess everything up. People make everything happen. People get in the way. People make the way. People discourage you. People encourage you.

You can't do ministry without people.

Ministry is the constant dealing with every conceivable relational experience involving people.

So, after spending a considerable amount of time describing my current state of feelings regarding a particular aspect of my ministry, I ended my "rant/vent" with these words.......

I pray that you will learn from this.
I pray that you will "do it better than me."

Each day that I live, I am reminded of my priority to do whatever I have to do to make sure those who walk after me not only learn from me, but do it better than me.

32 Years!

Today I celebrate being married to Karla Ruth Cox for 32 years.

On the one hand, "it's just another year we have been married" - on the other hand, "comparitively speaking, we have been married for a pretty long time."

When asked about his relationship/marriage to his wife, a friend replied in this manner, "I have been married for 35 years......32 of the happiest years of my life."

I love his honesty.

How does one live 11,680 days together with the same person and not deal with adversity, frustration, financial stress, anger, pain, fear, insecurity, boredom, intimacy issues, the monumental task of raising kids, and even have doubts in general about marriage? I don't know the answer or answers to that question. I just know that God has allowed something to happen in my relationship to Karla that keeps us moving forward living life together.

So on this rainy Thursday with nothing spectacular being planned, we "celebrate" our 32nd Wedding Anniversary. When talking about how we wanted to celebrate, Karla's response was "all I want to do is sit across the table from you and talk"......

Maybe that's part of the answer to staying in love with the same person "til death do us part."

Two Fives

Today is Karla Ruth Cox Worley's 55th birthday!

I am glad she was born, and so are my (3) sons, daughter-in-law, grandson, and yet-to-enter-this-world second grandbaby!

Last night when Elliott asked me how old I was, I told him. He then asked Karla (Lala) how old she was, and she told him that her birthday is today and that she will be 55. His eyes lit up, and I told him "two fives" - he held up both hands, fingers spread, palms facing Karla and said "two fives, Lala."

So today is "two fives" day for my sweet wife.

I am grateful that God made you!

Happy Birthday!

BTW - in this photo from a recent fun evening where she got to hang out with some neat girl friends, she "holds her own" among these young ladies half her age!!!

From Ghost To Smoke Monster

It's always fun to hear about/discover the latest stuff created by your kids.

Beginning with their first time they color a picture of you that for the life of you you cannot figure out how it resembles you, to that school project where they have to "track their life" in photos and articles and paste it to a piece of poster board that you had to go to (3) different stores at 11:00pm the night before to find, to the annual "what will I be for Halloween" this year (in this photo, he just wanted to be a ghost - well, a ghost wearing Mickey Mouse ears!)......over and over again, more and more "here's what I've created lately" moments followed.

This week I learned of Seth's (our oldest) latest "here's what I've created moment."

I know I am dabbling (is that a word?) in borderline dangerously "parental prideful" territory with this, but after viewing this, I was pretty amazed at this "making of"......

I'm his Dad - I am supposed to be amazed, and well - I am. You may view it kinda like "the making of a clock"...... If that's you, then I recommend watching the first 1:40, then skip over Seth's tutorial to near the end - 11:25.

However, I have to say that if I had had teachers like Seth Worley explaining things to me in the classroom in the way he explained how he created this video, I might have paid closer attention in class!

So, we never know what is next for our kids, but for now, I enjoy this and I share it with those of you who have 5-13 minutes to watch something funny, interesting, and entertaining.

Click HERE, then click on the photo of the smoke in the chair!

BTW - you don't have to be a LOST fan to enjoy this - take it from one who knows......

The Real (Better) Sports Story This Week In Nashville

I seldom blog about things like this, but I always want to be one who gives credit when credit is due.

If you follow sports at all, then you have read everything and heard everything this week about Bud Adams (owner of the Tennessee Titans NFL Football Team) and his decision to release QB Vince Young and therefore keep Head Coach, Jeff Fisher. The on-going, doing-their-best-to-keep-it-under-control feud had reached its limit with the end of the regular season, and something had to give.

Well, if you live in the Middle Tennessee area, that is pretty much ALL you are hearing about this week in the world of sports, and understandably so - the media loves (and creates) controversy in the limelight of professional sports and such controversy often produces drama, and we all know it's drama that makes headlines.

For me - the real (and yes better) sports story of this week wasn't/isn't about an arguably immature professional QB, his Head Coach and their boss.

It's about a man who reached an incredible milestone this week!

Belmont University Men's Basketball coach, Rick Byrd joined a select group with his Belmont Bruins' latest victory giving him his 500th victory at that school.

Belmont beat Stetson 70-53 on the road Wednesday night for Byrd's 500th victory at a program that jumped from NAIA to NCAA Division I under his tenure.

He is one of five active head coaches at that mark, joining Jim Boeheim of Syracuse (844), Mike Krzyzewski of Duke (809), Jim Calhoun of Connecticut (586) and Sacred Heart's Dave Bike (500).

Stop and read that last paragraph!

In a day and time when it's all about the money, better opportunities, championships, and so much more "ladder-climbing" - this man has spent 24 years consistently coaching Belmont teams to play their absolute best every time they take the court - often with far less skilled players than his opponent, challenged them to excel in the classroom, graduate, and move on to take their place in the world to make a difference.

He is one of the most respected college basketball coaches anywhere.

You don't have to take my word for it - read more HERE

I have never met the man, but I have attended many Belmont basketball games, and I sit close enough to have observed him interact with his team, and more importantly observe how his players respond to him.

Congratulations Coach Byrd! We need more sports stories like this one!

Thanksgiving 2010

It seems that the past few Novembers have brought about a particular rhythm or cycle of winding down to the end of a year, and with that rhythm or cycle comes a time to get away during what is (having lived here for 30 years - in my opinion) the most beautiful time of the year if you live in middle Tennessee.

Last weekend, Karla and I were able to slip away and enjoy one of our favorite places. When we returned home on Sunday evening, we pulled into our driveway to find our back patio covered with leaves! What a breath-taking picture of God's beauty!

As I captured this moment with my camera, I thought about how my photos are reminders of how God blesses. Maybe we should all take more photos. I am convinced they would serve as constant reminders of how richly blessed we all are!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ben Worley Is 18 Today!

Goodness.....our "baby" turns 18 today!!

Here are 18 things I love about you, Ben Worley:

1. The way you keep your room clean!
2. Your shopping sprees to Goodwill for used audio equipment!
3. The way you keep your closet so neat and nicely arranged!
4. The fact that you never fight with your middle brother!
5. That you are never sarcastic!
6. That you bring muffins home from work for the whole family!
7. That you can't remember what instruments you own because you continue to borrow parts from all of them to build new instruments!
8. The way you lead your band!
9. The music you make as a player!
10. The music you create as a composer!
11. The way you act in your brother's films!
12. That you will sit and watch a movie with your Dad!
13. The questions you ask!
14. The way you negotiate things!
15. The fact that a policeman would pull you over thinking you stole a big screen TV only to find out it was your newly constructed audio control console that you built and used for the first time in your show on Saturday!
16. That you play in the Student Praise Band - learning/playing/leading songs that point people to Jesus!
17. That you love your mom and dad and your brothers and your sister-in-law, and your nephew and your grandmother and your aunt & uncle and all of your Texas relatives and whoever else in your family that I forgot to mention
18. That you have lived for 18 years in this same house and brought a ton of joy to our lives!

Happy 18th Birthday, Ben Worley!
(now go and change your Facebook profile for those who might actually believe what you write!)

Oh, and if you have spent time reading this, I will let you figure out which of the above are NOT true.......(my kids aren't the only ones who can be sarcastic......)









BTW - Mom and I are convinced if you shaved your face and straightened out your hair, you really would be Shia LeBeouf........ (but then you wouldn't be Ben Worley anymore!)

Be Where You Need To Be

I have had many conversations lately related to people’s schedules and priorities and commitments. After all, it’s the end of summer - everyone is getting back into some sense of school schedule and have moved beyond what is now a 60-day summer.

Karla and I joke how much we hate August. It truly is a useless month. I grew up with school starting appropriately the day after “Labor” Day. In a period of 24 hours, the summer has ended and school has begun because we go from one day of “rest” to the next day of “new teachers/new classes/new beginnings, etc….”

What is the deal with starting school on August 12? Good grief……

When you are in “my line of work” as a person whose success is pretty much totally dependent on the involvement, faithfulness and contribution from “volunteers”…. well, it makes for interesting times to say the least.

It is amazing the number of “things” that people can juggle/maintain/deal with on a regular basis and somehow still find time for some level of commitment to the ministry of the local church.

We have just begun a new “season” of Choir Ministry. I divide up the year into - well, seasons - shorter, more focused periods of time that allow people to pick and choose if they can commit for 8-9 weeks at the 70% level.

Now think about that - 70%. Think about the things you currently spend the majority of your time, money, energy, affection, and allegiance. Tell me how effective you would be at those things at the 70% commitment level?

Before you think I have “lost it” and believe that a person’s commitment to a church choir should not be compared to…..well - quite frankly anything else - well, I agree.

BUT - if we are going to talk about how effective the Choir Ministry is at our church, and how important this ministry is to helping people encounter the presence and life-transforming power of Jesus Christ, then wouldn’t one think we should have at the very least a 70% commitment level?

The vast majority of the people even remotely involved in the Worship Choir Ministry of Brentwood Baptist Church have the best of intentions, do the best that they can given all the pressures of life, and contribute significantly to this ministry.

The most compelling e-mails that I receive from choir members are hands down the ones that tell me that the reasons why they can’t be at a rehearsal or lead on a Sunday morning are because they have to care for a sick relative, the ones who tell me they can’t be at our choir retreat because they are counseling a married couple on the edge of divorce, the ones who are working two jobs to make ends meet, the single Dad who has his kids that night and he needs to care for them, the ones who are serving in preschool ministry instead of the choir that morning because immature parents who said the would serve simply didn’t show up to serve, the uncle who is helping his nephew move into college because that kid’s Dad passed away this summer and that new college student needs a “dad-figure” in that moment …… I could go on and on…..

The people who send those e-mails are telling me a very important and powerful reminder - they are “where they need to be”

All of this is challenging me to ask (as I always try to ask) the right questions, and in this case, maybe the right question we should ask each morning when faced with multiple “places to be”…….Lord, where is it YOU need me to be?

I truly believe that if we answer that question honestly and consistently, then more times than not we will “be where we need to be!”

Aqua-what?

This is one of those "what was I thinking?" moments......

Today was my family reunion (my mom's side) in central Texas - specifically in Kyle, TX. Kyle is located on I-35 between Austin and San Marcos.

We should have been there, but we didn't make those plans. Too bad.....

Too bad because my mom would have loved for us to have been there, and THEN......

I forgot that Brad Paisley was doing this - (see photo)

They call is Aquapalooza. Check it out. Brad sets up on the shore of Lake Travis, and the whole dang audience (at least most of them) are enjoying the show from their boats!!!!

How stinkin fun is that?

Sorry I missed out on the family reunion, and sorry I missed out on the Brad fun. I know I don't have a boat, but I might have been able to finagle (how does one spell that word) a ticket or two!!!????

10 More Things Currently Making HUGE Impressions On My Life

1. This photo of my grandson - a nap after the beach is the best!
2. Karla's new office at church - we actually rode to/from work together last week - WOW!
3. Our new summer intern - Elias Anderson from Liberty University
4. My college roommate, Chris Wommack's visit to Nashville this week!
5. Lunch with David Hamilton and hearing all about his trip this weekend to Californiw to experence the premiere of his latest Disney project this weekend - You HAVE to see -
THIS VIDEO INCREDIBLE!!!!!
6. Carol Cymbala (Director of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir) being our guest in Wednesday night's choir rehearsal - but Jason Michael Webb may have "stolen the show"....but then Sister Jean may have made the greatest impression - she is 73 years old, an original member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and travels everywhere with Carol as her prayer support and friend!
7. Hearing from someone (this week) for the first time in 33 years!!
8. Lunch with Dick & Mel Tunney - what an incredible ministry team they are!
9. Meeting with a 25-year-old who has one of the most incredible futures ahead of them!
10. Completely fired up about our services tomorrow - June 13

10 Things Currently Making An Impression On My Life

1. The song, Come As You Are by Pocket Full Of Rocks
2. My son, Seth's Adventure Now 3 Video Series for Fuge Camps - (60,000 students will witness it this summer!)
3. The song, You Are Faithful by Michael Boggs
4. My son, Ben's Adventure Now 3 Video Series original musical score AND his original musical score for the CentriKid Camps video series entitled, Kitchen Bink
5. Reflecting on getting to spend Mother's Day with my Mom
6. My son, Matt's work ethic particularly related to Flood Relief
7. My pastor's sermon on forgiveness
8. The possible re-scheduling of the Community Hymn Sing
9. The song/arrangement of Lean On Me by Patti Austin - (who turns 60 in August - ridiculous!)
10. Getting to mow Seth/Arley/Elliott's yard - seriously....might be the most therapeutic thing I do each week.....

Platforms - Tony Morgan

I read and saved this back in January. As I re-read it today, I felt led to post on my blog.

This is powerful stuff....and for more on Tony Morgan, go HERE
____________________________________________________________________
There are no shortcuts to having a platform. You have to earn it.

No one owes you a platform.

Sometimes someone who is trusted can help you get a moment on the platform, but you still have to deliver to keep it.

The harder you try to have a platform, the harder it is to get it.

If you do what you’re designed to do and you are faithful to stick with it over time, there’s a good chance you’ll have a platform.

Not all platforms are created equal, but all have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others.

Relationships are the foundation of a platform. If you can’t build relationships, you can’t have a platform.

The person who yells the loudest doesn’t necessarily get the platform.

If you never stop and listen, you probably won’t get the platform either.

If it’s just about you, you don’t have a platform.

You’ll lose your platform if you don’t continue to use it for positive change. You have to move people to a better place.

You’re more likely to leverage your platform if you tell stories that engage both the head and the heart.

You’re more likely to keep your platform if you ask questions.

If people can’t have access to you and your daily life, your platform is probably shrinking whether you know it or not.

Platforms are established over time and lost in an instant.

Lots of people want a platform, but very few are gifted to have a platform and even fewer are humble enough to keep it.

February 24, 1979

31 years ago on this date, Karla and I said "I do" in front of family members and a small gathering of friends in Dallas, Texas. (we were married before video camcorders were invented,
so a few photos were the best we could come up with to capture the ceremony!)


Our life together has never been boring and always fascinating!

I am thankful for our family, our amazing friends, and our incredible sons.
I am also thankful that God brought Arley into our lives, and now Elliott.

I love you, Karla Ruth - you bring laughter and joy to my life!
Let's see if we can do 31 more years!!

Time Stands Still - Part 2

1970 Thomas Jefferson High School Baseball Team - San Antonio, Texas

Coach Arnold is standing at the far left end of the second row.

Can you find me?????

What a fun group of guys - everyone should be a part of team - always!

Time Stands Still

I received a most memorable phone call today sitting at home on a beautiful, (and unusual) warm sunny February day.

The caller ID said Frank Arnold. Realizing that I had written a letter (remember those?) to this person earlier this week, I was not surprised, but then again, very surprised to see that name pop up on my phone caller ID.

Why?

I have not had a conversation with this person in 40 years!

Frank Arnold was my high school baseball coach. I graduated high school in 1970.

One week ago, he was "deservedly" inducted into the
San Antonio Sports Hall Of Fame

When my mom told me this, and then was able to get his home address, I wrote him to congratulate him and to tell him the difference he made in my life.

Coach Arnold was a great coach - he believed in me way more than I believed in myself. The longer you live, the more you realize how important people like Coach Arnold are in your life.

What a joy to "catch up with him" over a 20 minute phone conversation.

Today, I truly feel like time stood still - I visualized being on the field as a 17-year old as this man hit hundreds of grounders to me to make me a better second baseman, but more importantly, his demeanor and his encouragement to challenge me to be more than I believed I could be.

He was grateful for my letter. I was grateful for his presence in my life at a time when I most needed that kind of influence.

Thank you, Coach Arnold, and again - congratulations for the honors bestowed upon you - they are well-deserved!

Music Can Become Boring - Jesus Can't

Since Thanksgiving, every time I sat down to write something in this space, I could not think of anything to write. That's just really sad. Not because I have anything important to say or that people are dying to read my blog (wow - narcissism abounds!), but because there is a ton of stuff going on in my life and ministry right now, and I should be writing about it. For whatever reasons, I can't seem to organize the words in sentences in a way that I believe might be the least bit interesting or helpful to another human being.

December was a very busy month (terrible understatement) of Christmas worship services, our Christmas Concert, and then our Christmas Eve Services. I was able to take two consecutive Sundays off (don't get to do that very often!), and now am back at it in a new year.

After 17 years of worship services and ministry in the local church, I can honestly say that 2010 will be my most challenging. Isn't it interesting that I can already see that, and we are only 8 days into it? There are many reasons, and I will try to be more intentional about sharing the reasons why as the year unfolds.

For now, we have new services and a new campus launching in the next 45 days, and so very much to do in preparation for them!

Some wonderful perspective came upon me today from one of my favorite people - Bob Kauflin. His most recent blog post (Reflections On Turning 55) is powerful. I encourage you to read it HERE

Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving 2009

I spent most of my absolutely beautiful Wednesday before Thanksgiving in my office that has no windows working away on many different tasks that I thought needed to get done before the Thanksgiving break.

My day had a most wonderful interruption by a brief trip down the hall to our new Chapel where I found David Hamilton and Michael W. Smith rehearsing Christmas music.

This Monday and Tuesday - November 30 and December 1, Michael will give a Christmas Concert in Dallas with the Dallas Symphony conducted by David Hamilton. They needed a place to go over the program prior to their arrival there in Dallas.

Selfishly, what a nice pre-Thanksgiving treat!

I came home early today, and after Matt, Ben, and Ben's girlfriend, Marissa worked diligently all day in the yard raking and bagging leaves (much to the sighed relief of my neighbors in the cul-de-sac who were beginning to wonder if caveman lived next door!), I decided to mow the front yard.

Isn't that crazy to mow the yard at 5:00pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?

I am grateful for so much this Thanksgiving.

About this time every year, we have what is called our "year-end reviews" at the office. We complete these forms, sit down with our immediate supervisor and go over the "form" and talk about the year. It is always an interesting and healthy exchange that contributes to the effectiveness of me accomplishing what is expected of me.

I listed the following (23) things on my review for 2009 -

1. Celebrated 30 years of marriage
2. Buried my father
3. Knee Surgery
4. Writing - (2) Different Worship Articles for Brentwood-Benson Choral Music Publication
5. Teaching - (5) different sessions on worship leadership at LifeWay Worship Conference at Ridgcrest
6. Consulting - served as consultant to the President of Anderson University in Anderson, SC to help them lay the foundation for a worship leadership degree
7. Co-Producer Annual Nashville Symphony Community HymnSing - becoming more and more of a mission field/outreach challenge and opportunity
8. Hiring Process For New Associate
9. Helped Jeremy Busler with the overall transition from 100% access to him to less access to him "for my needs and the needs of this campus' ministry" while supporting and assisting him in laying the foundation for South Campus Worship Ministry
10. Coached / Mentored Jeremy Busler, Michael Boggs, Shelly Johnson, Jeremy & Maribeth Johnson - established new relationship with Mike Harland
11. Highly Successful Fall Choir Retreat with guests - Dave Williamson, David Hamilton, and Dr. Deen Entsminger - choral professor from Belmont University
12. Highly Successful 09-09-09 Choir Rehearsal with largest choir rehearsal attendance ever at BBC - special guests, Travis Cottrell and Bill Gaither
13. Hosted and taught (3) classes on Worship Choir Leadership at the bi-annual TBC Music Ministry Leadership Conference
14. Established the additional worship service support position of Stage Manager and immediately "grew" the roster of Producers and Stage Managers from 6 to 8 members who are all highly trained and equipped to handle the details and flow of our Sunday Worship Services
15. Coordinated guests and other additional worship leaders - Steve Green, Michael Boggs, David Hamilton, Jeremy Busler, Shelly Johnson, Jeremy & Maribeth Johnson, Kids Choirs, Good News Singers, Mike Harland, Deaf Church-Led Lord's Supper
16. Coordinated (6) different and definitely unique Summer Sundays in the absence of the choir & orchestra - string quartet, bluegrass, VBS-team, 70-piece Orchestra, 4 pianos, David Hamilton & band - jazz morning.
17. Christmas CD - (including for the first time - Kairos and South Campus)
- and all the related mission outreach efforts associated with it
18. Christmas Eve Services - coordinating efforts to "start over with blank piece of paper"
19. Coordinated, documented, and led weekly worship planning meetings keeping all involved and necessary parties "on the same page" with regard to programming, "messages", "must do's", and attempting to stay focused on the main objective of our worship services - to the extent that that was possible.
20. Assisted, supported, and empowered Jeremy & Maribeth Johnson to further the Music Missions partnership with South Africa as they led the 2009 team in March.
21. Continued to help develop the Masi Choir CD project - getting Michael W. Smith and Jars Of Clay recorded on the CD.
22. Through our 2007 partnership between Michael W. Smith and Living Hope, MWS contributed his portion of the royalties from CompassionArt Project - $5,000 thus far.
23. Led Worship Choir through devotional book - Humility - True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney.

At the end of the review form, we are allowed to make additional personal comments.....
I wrote the following that sums up my heart on this day before Thanksgiving:

"Another interesting and often difficult year of personal stuff intertwined with the load that comes with this position. I continue to marvel at what God does since I consistently wonder how things can ever get done in my limited capacity of energy, knowledge, and skills! I am grateful that God has sustained me thus far through year 16 - never in my craziest dreams could I have imagined......and in and through all of this, I still believe we have yet to see God's best work -and at least for me, that's what keeps me going..."

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who read this entire blog entry!!

P.S. I miss you today, Dad.....