kidz set design....

so what does 600 pool noodles look like at WCrossing? I will show you soon.

Kidz Ministries has their weekend to produce the services. Set design and lighting is incredible! Pictures are on their way.

popcorn hoax revealed

Ok...this is crazy and stupid, but here it is. Thanks phil g.

microwave popcorn.....

I love my popcorn...but this?


Any one up for trying this at home? Let me know the turn out if you do.

stalking?

Teresa just asked 'isn't Twitter like permissive stalking?' hmmmm......hope she doesn't find out about my stalking of loswhit.

aaahhhhh.......

I had a great conversation with a buddy about social media apps over a shrimp chimichanga at lunch. Still thinking about the conversation but regret the shrimp chimichanga…if you know what I mean.

blog rolling.....

The blog roll has begun. There is still time to get your blog added. Add your blog or the fav blog you read and I will add it over there on the right side of the page.

And this is not just some old static list of blog links. This one is live and active. The list will show the most current posts at the top and will include that title of the post.

blogroll.....

Enough about me....who else are your reading? What blogs are you visiting OR if you have a blog let me know.

I'm gonna create a blog roll over there on the right side of the page and I will add them along with a few of my favorite blogs.

Now, it's your turn....come on......I know your out there let your blog be heard!

Jarrett Stevens......

Jarrett's about half way through his message here in our first service and doing a great job. I have been looking forward to this weekend as I have enjoyed his books and teachings from Axis at Willow Creek and now 722 at Northpoint....and like he actually works a few office doors down from Carlos Whittaker.

Even though guest speakers come in and you would think that would give us all a breather, it is acutally a bit more difficult and stressful for me as we have to prep and be ready for what ever the guest speaker will bring. This week, for some reason, was a bit less stressful and more enjoyable.

He is doing a great job talking about first impressions...well you will have to download the podcast. There he is in the pic.....









.....you see him? Can't you tell that's him?

echo...echo...cho....o.....o......

I mentioned in a few posts back about being excited about the upcoming Echo Conference in August. For some reason I am pretty jazzed about this conference. Don’t get me wrong, I have done my share of conventions/conferences/workshops/seminars and I think they are great. Great for meeting new people, great for seeing new technology, great for winning awards (hehe:)). But the Echo clan has done a good job hyping me up for their extravaganza in Dallas.

The Echo website says the conference will encompass all things media – visual, web, music, technology – and hopes to resound the truth of Christ through the power of media and technology. It will be a gathering place for church leaders to discover new and creative forms and uses of media. We hope to inspire church leaders to creatively use media to serve the church body and to reach those outside the church.

The more we explore original uses of media in the church, the better equipped we will be to communicate the greatest message on earth. Developing our ability to express God’s truth through different forms of media better prepares us to see God’s story woven into our culture and to share that story with those around us.

I’m excited.

It may be the location. If you remember earlier this year, I, along with a fellow WCrossing staffer visited Dallas for church site seeing fun with the ADI team. Watermark Church was our first stop. We loved the raw and vibrant décor the church had. Very cool vibe. It will be a comfy place to be in for this type of conference.

It may be the people. I love being around creative people. I am looking forward to getting to see some old friends and meet some new peeps. Networking and chatting from folks who do this across the country jazzes me. To think of all those creative minds stirring on that campus over two days just percolates my mind. Who knows, we may even find our Associate Tech Dir. (yup, we are still looking)

It may be my entourage. I will be attending Echo with a few guys from WCrossing. All I have to say is that what happens in Dallas WILL stay in Dallas.

I think it may be the speakers. What a lineup of creative minds they have!

Mark Batterson
Donald Miller
Todd Wagner
Phil Cooke
Shawn Wood
Chris Seay
Tim Stevens
Greg Atkinson
Gary Molander
Matthew Paul Turner
and a number of other highly creative minds.

I can’t wait!

not yet....

good news still to come.

getting closer.....

During my usual evening perusal of the google reader I came across this post from Carlos Whittaker.

I just realized that Jarrett Stevens, who is speaking at the Crossing this weekend, is like on staff with Carlos – my Goal:. First Scott Hodge. Now Jarrett Stevens. See, God wants me to meet Los Whit, Carlos just needs to realize it! I'm getting closer...and possibly looking like a stalker now.

Nonetheless, I am excited to have Jarrett here this weekend. I have admired him from afar while he was at Willow Creek and now doing 722 at Northpoint.

Maybe I’ll make a mixtape that he can take back to Carlos for me.

goodness

so after a fabulous dinner my wonderful wife pulled these outta the fridge.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy. Chocolate and Coconut Cream pie!

Teresa is so good to me.

doin' some writin'

Ever since winning the Solomon Award for Technical Director last October I have had some cool writing opportunities come about as well as meet some cool people.

One of those opportunities was to contribute an article discussing three communication principals for worship leaders and techs. I have had plenty of experience dealing with worship leaders…that sounds a little negative but I’m not meaning to. This gave me a chance to think back on those that I have served and served with. God has put me in some interesting environments and I see how I have evolved as a T.D. as result.

Once the article is published I will post a link for your reading pleasure.

good news....

I got some good news today. But I can't tell you yet....ya'll just have to wait.

stuff

Today is my one year anniversary being on staff here at The Crossing. They kept me around that long!

I am waiting on the final word but there may be a guest stopping by the blog to chat about his soon to be released book....a really good book

We are confirmed. I will be headed down to the Echo Conference in August with a few of my guys. For some reason I am way more excited about this conference than others I have been to. I will be blogging more about Echo in the coming week are so.

I have more irons in the fire than I really should here in the middle of summer. But it is all what I love to do. And, I am learning more and more how to really take a day off.

Yesterday, my day off, Teresa and I took our oldest shopping for new school clothes and then lunch. Afterwards we came home and played a few rounds of Clue and a few hands of cards. It has been a while since we have hung out with just her….she is growing up into a beautiful, creative, talented young lady. Her first day of middle school is in August………………………yea, that will be hard.

first day of school...part one

My two younger daughters attend school on a year round cycle so yesterday was the first day of school.My middle daughter is heading back and is in second grade. My youngest is just starting kindergarten. This really makes me feel old watching them head off to school together. It also is teaching me some lessons….not sure I want to learn them just yet.

I also want to be there walking in front of them making sure the go the right direction, protect them from dangers, and be there to hold there hand when needed. Instead, I am finding myself walking behind them watching them go forward and grow up. While I know that is healty for them it ain't easy for me! But I hope they always know they can reach out and grab my hand when they need to.

wow....

I just realized that over my vacation this blog hit over 3,000 visits. cool.

I'm back.....

So, I’m back.

Vacation was great…all fourteen days of it. It was a ‘stay-cation’ for us, but there are plenty of things around St Louis we love to do…and we didn’t get to do all of them. We did lots of family, fun, refreshing stuff though. I am telling people the best part of vacation was the fact that it was nothing but my wife and three daughters for those two weeks. I could do about three more weeks of it but I don’t think my family can!

I have an amazing staff, tech team leaders and volunteers that let me have those fourteen days off with only 3 phone calls and six text messages. This was the first vacation in a long time I have been able to get away from work. It was good.

In my usual way, the last Sunday of vacation I volunteered in Kidz Ministry…the 2’s and 3’s to be exact. Children’s Ministry is my roots in ministry. It’s really where I developed and love kids….though I was reminded why I let Teresa led the early childhood team. I enjoy the elementary age kids more….maybe next time.

As we were shooshing the little ones out the door with their parents at the end of the hour I just happened to look out the door and saw what I thought to be the back of the spiky haired Scott Hodge. I yelled out his name and he and his wife turn around. Being on vacation I didn’t keep up with reading his blog or twitter or even the email he sent over. It was great to see him and meet his wife Amanda.