I know, I know...

it has been a year (minus 1 week) since I last posted here. It isn't like there hasn't been anything to write about, I've just been lazy.

As an update, here is a list of some of the things that have happened to me in the last year, both good and not so good in not any particular order.

• This year, Jenny has been working so hard in her garden, and it has been incredible. She has always been a great cook, but since the garden started producing, she has been making some of the most amazing dishes. The best by far is the Roasted Roma Tomato Sauce. She made it for our staff this week, and they went crazy over it. I am so proud of her, and blessed by her.
• 4 weeks ago, Jenny and I started classes to finish our bachelors degrees. This has been something that we have wanted to do for a long time. It is important to us for a couple of reasons. 1) As an example to our boys that finishing school isn't a luxury anymore, it is a necessity. 2) Both of us need the piece of paper in order to feel like we have a voice in our professions.
• Our sons have grown a lot this year, and we could not be more proud. Andrew moved into the Wesley Foundation and is out on his own. It is hard to believe he is going to be a junior in college. I have seen him grow as a person, as a musician, and as a TD. Joey has started working with group called "Community Options". It is amazing to watch him work. His heart pours out every day. Watching and listening to Aaron is just crazy. In the last year, he has continued on his road to being a great musician. He is a sophomore in high school, and continues the tradition of taking really tough courses in high school. Physics, Algebra and AP US History.
• In February, I got to my annual trip to ReCreate. A time of rest, renewal and being with friends from all over the world. We talk, laugh, pray, worship and learn together. It is some of the most inspiring times of the year for me both professionally and personally. It is led, designed and hosted by my friend Randy Elrod. I was also encouraged by the artists that were there, and started a little painting and altar design. You should check it out here.
• I had to separate out 1 thing from ReCreate this year. We had a time of worship with Gungor. When I heard that they were going to be there, I was excited because Michael Gungor is a great songwriter. I had no idea how good. The hour that we spent being led and taught by him was life changing. It was laid out like a symphony, but unlike anything I had experienced before, it was a symphony extolling the beauty, love and grace of Jesus. I have since seen them again with my sons, and it was amazing again.
• One of the disappointing things this year was the fact that I didn't get to take my annual pilgrimage to see my friends Tom and Rhondell. They moved several years ago and I miss them alot. This is the first time in several years that I haven't gotten to go after Easter.
• I have had a couple of set designs that I have been pretty pleased with lately. I will post them in the next few days.
• I started walking 3 or 4 times a week several months ago with my friend Troy. We have not walked in a little over a week or so though, and I am starting to feel the repercussions. I need the exercise and the conversation.

I guess that is enough for now. Thanks for reading.

Later kids...

18 years

18 years ago, within a 2 week span, I had one of the greatest things happen to me, the birth of my 2nd son Joey, and, I had to say "see you later" to my dad. 2 weeks ago, we celebrated Joey's 18th birthday.

It doesn't seem possible that my Dad has been gone that long. It seems like we were just talking about baseball and watching the all star game together. That was one of our things that we always did, we watched the MLB All-star game. Even when I was stationed in Germany, we watched it together over the phone (It was 4am my time).

When he died, there was a huge void in my life, and there still is. He was the one that I always turned to when I had questions about taxes, or finances, anything really, he was the one that was always there when I was doing something. For years after I moved to Bowling Green, I played softball, and every once in a while I would catch myself looking in the stands to see if he was watching. My dad played semi-pro baseball in his younger days, and was quite a hitter. Here is a picture of him back in the day...

Baseball was a way of life at my house. He was the only coach I knew until I got into High School.

One of the many nice things in my life now, is that I get to see a little of my dad in each of my children. In Andrew, I see my dad because he looks like me, and in turn, like dad. He also has that drive to work hard and help people. Now Joey, who's middle name is Alfred, you have to know what you are looking for. Joey gets a mischievous look, and grin on his face right before he is going to do something to mess with someone else. My dad did the same thing. And Aaron has the same love and ability for mathematics. My dad was a wiz with numbers and so is Runt.

I wish that my son's could have known my father, or "Alf, the wonder dad", as all my friends in High School referred to him. He was a great man, and I miss him a lot.

Sunday Setlist 8.02.09

Today was a pretty great day. I was back leading today after a week off (that felt like a month). I love leading worship on Communion Sundays. We got to do a new song, started a new series, and I got a sweet gift from a friend's little boy (more on that in a minute).

Here is the Setlist...

Famous One
Welcome, sermon set up and prayer
Enough (we are going to be doing this each of the next 2 weeks as well, to tie into our sermon series)
Surrender by Marc James
Greet
Message
Communion
Potter's Hand
Announcements and Offering
Your Name (we used a video on the screens of the names of God edited by Stephen Proctor. You can get it here)
Benediction

All in all, really good day. We took an inventory this afternoon of how many man hours went into today, and came up with 130 or so. The team that we work with every week is amazing.

Now to my sweet gift this morning. My friend Joe Patterson (our Pastor of Family Ministry) and his little boy Kellen walked up to me after church. Kellen told me he wanted to sing a song for me. He put his arms out for me to pick him up, and when I did, he held my head, and put his mouth right up against my ear (like he was telling me a secret), and proceeded to sing "The Lord's Prayer" to me. He sang the whole thing. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Here is a picture of him...


Imagine this sweet boy singing in your ear. Precious. A perfect end to a great morning of worship.

Later kids...

This post is part of the "Sunday Setlists" blog carnival over Fred's place. Click on the graphic to see what other worship leaders had to say about their Sundays.

Just not going to be the same

Today is the funeral for my friend, Dean Maggard. Dean was a long time member of the church I currently serve, and was one of the sweetest, talking-est people I knew. He was great. Deep baritone voice, contagious laugh, big smile that you couldn't chisel off. He used to say that he had a voice and a face for radio, and that the reason he liked me was I had the same.

When we do a series of messages that are tied to Wednesday night gatherings, we call that a super series. For me, the best part of doing a super series was getting to the Wednesday night component early, before the meal started, and sitting at the table with Dean. We would sit and laugh, mostly making fun of each other and our wives. Wednesday nights will not be the same without my friend Dean. The room of 200 people or so will seem empty.

Rest in Peace my friend. We will see you later...

My first look at the Wasabi Gospel

A few weeks ago I answered a twitter from Shawn Wood about possibly getting to read his new book, “Wasabi Gospel” early, and writing about it here. To be honest, I didn’t think that I would get to participate, because I didn’t respond the very second he tweeted it (Shawn is a popular guy). I couldn't not try, as I am a big Sushi fan. Low and behold, I got the email and here I am. This is just one of many in the “Wasabi Gospel Book Bomb” on Amazon.com. You can pre-order today and get a good deal on both of Shawn's books.

Having read the entire book from virtual cover to virtual cover, I can tell you that it has caused me to re-think how I look at pieces of scripture, and not just the ones covered in the book.

I have chosen to write today, about the first chapter in this post, not just because it is, what I am sure will be, the first of several posts about the book, but because it is in the first chapter where a term that completely wrecked me came from… Preemptive Forgiveness. I have always known that Jesus died for my sins and the sins of others, but to put it in that wording brought it back to life for me.

One of the things that I struggle with is anger issues, which extend sometimes to forgiveness problems. I have in the past few days in particular, been praying about a situation and I keep going back to this quote: “We often become intoxicated by our anger, happiness, sadness, or other emotions and are left with an emotional hangover. In order to make sober decisions we must somehow separate ourselves from our emotions.” (pg 16). I haven’t perfected it by any means but I am working.

I say all that to say, go out and get this book, you won't regret it, even if it wrecks you, and it will.

Father's Day reflections

Today has done a couple things for me. The first is to remind me how blessed I am to have a family that loves me and blesses me with their talents and gifts. Note...

• My day started by seeing a drawing taped to my dresser from my middle son Joey. It made me smile. He is talented like his mother.
  
• I then got the great gift of having my oldest son, Andrew be the Front of House sound engineer for worship this morning. He is an amazing servant, and has a great ears.
  
• During church, I got to watch people be touched by a video that my beautiful wife Jenny shot and edited. She has a way of making the story jump off the screens. God gave me a gift I didn't deserve when he sent her to me.
• After worship, we had lunch together as a family, and then we sat on the couch as my youngest son, Aaron, played piano for me. He is my free spirit, easily distracted, but gifted.
  
• When he was done, he went to the computer and started to lay down piano tracks for a video that Jenny is working on.

The second thing was just how much I miss my dad. He has been gone almost 18 years, and I still miss him desperately. I wish my sons could have known him. I wish he could have been a part of their lives. I have spent my life wanting to be him.

So today has been bitter sweet for me. Mostly sweet with memories, old and new.

Later kids...

Sunday set list 6.21.09

Happy Father's Day.

Today was one of those days where I woke up late and kind of rushed to get out the door. On of those days when I hoped I hadn't left a gap unshaved on my head or face. A day where one of my vocalists, who happens to be our children's pastor, calls me and tells me he can't sing because his host for this morning is sick. A day where one of our camera ops doesn't show up and we have to put a new guy in the booth with one of the graphics computers. Sounds like a horrible day, huh?

Not at all. It was wonderful. We got to do an extra song, happy fathers day to me, and we got to hear from one of the great seasoned men of our church. All in all, no major distractions, and the congregation sang out strong, even with our numbers down just a little. I went without my in ears monitors today, and I am glad I did. My son Andrew was running FOH, and he had a really good mix today. I could hear well, and I coiuld hear the congregation too. I got a couple of compliments on his mix this morning. He is Awesome.

Here is how the day went...

"My Savior Lives"
"Mighty to Save"

Welcome, and set up
Father and Son mini testimony and prayer

"Marvelous Light"
"My Jesus, I Love Thee/Tis So Sweet" Bart Millard arrangement

Greet
Message (Our Associate Pastor, Adam, preached at our campus today, and our Senior Pastor was at our Greenwood Campus)

Announcements and Offering prayer
"Your Grace, Still Amazes Me"

Benediction

Later Kids...

This post is part of the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival on my friend Fred McKinnon's blog. Click on the logo below to see other setlists and worship reports from around the world.

Sunday set list 6.14.09

It has been a couple weeks since last we spoke friends. Here is my report from today.

We are in a series called "StoryTellers", and we are working through the parables. Today was the parable of the wedding feast. We used a video from the Free Hugs Campaign to illustrate the invitation to the party. This seSries really plays to strength of both Rick and Adam, in that they are both very comfortable with using stories in their sermons. After the service, I got to go out into the Atrium and hold a sign that said "Free Hugs". I got about 100 hugs. It was great. Being Italian, I will hug all day long.

Here is how it went...

"Forever"

Welcome and set up of the day

"Sing to the King"
"At the Cross"


Greet
Message with "Free Hugs" (see it here)
Prayer written by Mother Theresa
"Dear Lord, Help me spread your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with your spirit & life. Penetrate me, possess my whole being so utterly all my life may only be a "radiance" of yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only you, O Lord! Let me preach you without preaching, not by words, but by my example by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you. Amen." Mother Theresa

Announcements and Offering Prayer
"Healer" Kari Jobe version

Benediction

Later kids...

This post is part of the "Sunday Setlists" blog carnival over Fred's place. Click on the graphic to see what other worship leaders had to say about their Sundays.