I Am JP

Walking After Midnight

2010-07-01T10:10:00.001-05:00

(The title... well it's a Garth Brooks song, and it felt cool to put it up there).

Over the last 3 or 4 months God has really been shaking things up in my life. It's really hard to explain. After reading the bible through in 90 days, God began to reveal some incredible things to me about who He is, and what He might be calling me to do.

As I read the story of Moses and that of Abraham, Isaiah, Jonah and the disciples, I strongly felt God communicating to me that maybe it was a time to listen and make a leap of faith that would be uncomfortable for me.

My prayer was: "God if You want me to do this, I will, but I need You to blow me away with what You are going to do, or I'm not going."

Probably not the most faith filled prayer. Let's be honest, it was a selfish prayer. It surely wasn't "I'll drop my nets at once and follow you," but that's what I prayed.

And that's what He did. After a one line email, and one 40 minute conversation that followed, God began to orchestrate something over the next 4 months that I can't even begin to explain.

I'll spare you with many of the details...(there's a lot in 4 months) but I do want to announce to 99 percent of you that are hearing it for the first time that I have accepted a position at Fellowship Church in Grapevine/Fort Worth in their creative department. I will be heading up their production & worship teams in charge services at the Fort Worth Campus.

Let's be honest, I'm way over my head with this gig, and completely honored to be a part of such a great church. There is no doubt I have so much to learn, and I'm about to step into a world I've never seen. Many of you know that I'm way under qualified for this position.

I honestly can't believe it's actually happening.

Here's why none of you know yet: I didn't know everything was final until Monday, and today is only Thursday - but I will be officially starting there this afternoon. I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to tell you all personally before now.

There are more crazy details to explain why such a quick start, but please know I'm not leaving FBC this quick all together. I will still come back every Friday in July to work here with our staff tying up lose ends and pouring out the little information I do know about my area. I also will be consulting if there is ever a need for the next 50 years.

To all of you: I need you to know that I love you. There are not enough words to explain how much you've changed my life.

To my church family: Thank you! You took me in and allowed me to serve along side of you. You restored me when I was broken, you allowed me to make countless mistakes. You loved me when at times, that was hard to do. You trusted me with responsibilities I wasn't qualified for. I am truly grateful to you.

To my staff: You of all people know how much of a diva I can be, and I thank you for your grace. I've never met a group of people who work as hard as you do, and care as much as you do for your community. Thank you for allowing me to vent, over looking my OCD (and ADD), and not punching me when I deserved it.

To the youth: Thank you for listening to all those crappy messages I have given over the years. I have watched so many of you grow into mature men and women, and it's been amazing to see. God has done and will do some many amazing things through each one of you.

To this community: I love you! I honestly do love you, and I will make every effort to keep in contact with you and to continue to share life with you.

P.S. I'm going to live in K-town for at least another month, so I expect to get to hug all of you at least twice.

What Do You Believe?

2010-05-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

So it's been awhile... ok it's been a decade since I've contributed my thoughts to the web. All my thoughts have gone towards seminary, which have left me with little to share with the world. But I'm back, and this time I come to you from the ipad. (one of the most useful things I"ve ever purchased. I would put it right up there with my toothbrush)

So here's my question. What do YOU believe? You personally... your own thoughts. If you are a follower of Jesus, do you believe the words you read and stories you hear?

Because think about it, we all believe something because someone before us once believed it. Information more often that not is being passed down or around from somewhere.

Those of us who grew up in the church believe most of what we believe because we were told to, or because we knew someone smarter than us believed the same.

When we ask this question about our faith, I believe it causes us to do some inventory on where we are spiritually. I don't know about you, but when I believe in something, it's hard for me not to voice what I believe. If we truly believe, than we must live and act that way.

Last night in youth ministry, we looked at Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

If we as followers of Jesus say that we believe like we do, then why is this verse so hard to understand for many of us. I mean, we put it on coffee cups and t-shirts and those horrible Christian bumper stickers, but yet so few of us live in a way like this verse is real.

Why is that? Or better yet, what are our desires? or to make this more personal. What is your desire? Do you know? Have you grasped that? What does that look like that we are delighting ourselves in the Lord and Him giving us the desires of our hearts?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll let you ponder on that while I smoothly transition my thoughts.

Here's what God has been teaching me lately.

Be patient, and quit tring to force something to happen. God operates on His time, and His plan. I feel like many of us need to be reminded of that. When it's His time, I promise you, you will be blown away when He wants to move you in another direction. God has just been blowing my head up with that lately.

When we begin to grasp an ounce of what it means to delight in Him, I truly believe He will give us the desires of our heart. I think I've spent most of my life trying to force something to happen, and each time only getting a lack luster result. It's those times when I allow Him to be in charge that I step back and say wow.

Be Still

2009-12-10T09:08:00.004-06:00

Here is my response to our staff as we discuss the word intimacy and what that means in our relationship with Christ. It had to be delivered at 8 am on Tuesday morning, and I actually made the deadline.

...................................................................................................................................................

Wow, it's early, and everyone knows I don't do early, but here we go. I struggled and struggled what to get everyone for Christmas, and since we weren't getting a bonus, I knew I had to be creative, and than it hit me. I've decided to allow everyone unlimited access to read, download, and even share with your friends all of the run on sentences and horribly placed punctuations marks that will soon follow in the paragraphs below. Yes, that's free of charge, and you can thank me later with large tangible gifts....

Now, sit up straight, place your hands in your lap, turn off anything that may distract you, and get your popcorn ready...

One of the things that I realize every year is that it seems that Christmas should be the time a year where we are reminded deeply about what it means to love Christ and for our passions to be renewed. If I’m honest and I really look at the first Christmas and read that peaceful quiet intimate moment between a husband and wife as they gaze into the eyes of of their son and savior I can see that Christmas now is not the same.

To me the way we do Christmas has a much different feeling. With parties on every night of the week, Christmas pageants, community celebrations, and of course the annual trip to visit the family, Christmas for me anyways seems to be the opposite of intimate.

And to be completely transparent the word intimacy is a hard one for me. Because I’m not sure that I’m very good at it. But the two things I understand about intimacy on any level is that it can not be forced and it can not be rushed.

When I look at my life I can see that many times those two things are happening on many accounts if I’m not careful. God constantly uses this Psalm and particularly vs. 10 to remind me to take a step back and to be quiet and to be still. Both of which I’m horrible about doing.

Psalm 46 10 & 11

10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

It was verse 10 that I could sense God saying over and over to me on October 27th a couple a years ago as I drove home completely broken. It was that car ride that I questioned God for the first time in my life, and didn’t have a clue what he was doing or where I would end up.( It wasn’t the most comforting verse at the time, I I thought to myself, why this verse God, why this verse? Could I please get a strong sense of Romans 8:28 or something a little more cheerful, but it was vs.10 that I believe he continued to drill into my soul)

It was that same verse that I remember reading in a hotel room in California not to long ago wondering why I was so frustrated. I could later see he was showing me that I’d been living the past two years of life out of bitterness and never took time to deal with what I needed to deal with. it was simply me that was getting in the way of God restoring me. (that may only make sense to me)

Intimacy takes time, it takes work, and for probably all of us, it takes us to the place where we’ve got to be still. To drop all of our agendas, our pride and the thought that we can do this on our own. I'm sure we’ve all been to that place in ministry when we’ve tried to force something to work for weeks or months, and it wasn’t until we were still, that God did the very thing we were trying to do.

For all of us this season, let us be still, let us praise God for who he is, and what he has done. Let us celebrate life with him, and let us be reminded that He is God and he is with us.

Regret

2009-10-05T18:41:00.000-05:00

If you don't deal with your regrets from your past in the present, they will always come back to haunt you in the future.

I've got some regrets in my life. So do you. Let's deal with them now, and move on.

My Personality Traits

2009-09-28T10:18:00.008-05:00

Took a little personality test, and here are the results.

Conscientious
You feel it's important to work according to a plan and finish every task, to do things correctly and thoroughly. You are not the kind of person who abandons a project before finishing it, or slacks off when you've lost interest.

Passionate
You are in touch with your emotions, and sometimes you react before you think. The good news: you don't tamp down your feelings. The bad news: you sometimes say or do things that you later wish you could take back.
You do not live your life on an even keel; you do not go for long periods without experiencing some mood swings.

Aesthetic
You appreciate art, beauty, and design; you know that they are not superficial but absolutely crucial to living the good life. You have good taste, and you're proud of it. Those with a high score on the "aesthetic" trait are often employed in literary or artistic professions, enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about the arts, reading, and travel.
You don't think it's pretentious to be moved by art and beauty. You're not one of those who believe it doesn't matter what something looks like as long as it does its job.

Assertive
You behave in a confident and forceful manner, take charge of the situation, raise your hand in class, stand up for what you think is right, and lead others. Among those who have a high score on the "assertive" trait, many have jobs in which they are valued for their organizational skills as well as their talent for supervising others.
You are not interested in fading into the woodwork, leaving everything to fate, taking more time than necessary to accomplish a task, or avoiding confrontation.

Cautious
You very rarely make a move without first considering the pros and cons and, therefore, rarely do anything foolish or extravagant.
You are not rash; you almost never act before you think and, therefore, rarely end up doing things you later regret.

Organized
You like to think a task through before you embark on it. If it's the slightest bit complicated, you make a list (even if it's only in your mind) and methodically work your way through it. When you have a goal in mind, you're not satisfied until you reach it.
You are not one of those people who ignore the details, and you don't understand how anyone can get anything accomplished without thoughtful planning ahead of time.

Curious
You like to get to the bottom of things. You're not content knowing what someone did; you want to know why they did it.
You don't simply take things as they are and move on; you're not content skimming along on the surface; you don't feel you're wasting time by digging for the meaning of things.

Optimistic
You are a "glass half-full" kind of person, always on the lookout for the silver lining. Your happiness is contagious, which is why others like to be around you.
You do not feel that the world is an intrinsically depressing place; you are not the kind of "realist" who thinks that only fools find joy in life.

Creative
You are good at solving problems, coming up with original ideas, and seeing connections between things, connections that most other people miss. People with a high score on the "creative" trait often are employed in such fields as finance and scientific research, and enjoy avant garde and classical music as well as literary fiction and scholarly non-fiction.
You do not shun abstractions and concepts in favor of the concrete and tangible.

Efficient
You are very well organized, even a bit anal. You like to stick to your plans and finish on deadline, wasting as little time as possible in the process.
You are not comfortable when things do not go according to plan, nor are you a procrastinator. You don't waste time when you can be getting down to business.

I Will Vs. I Can

2009-09-21T12:27:00.004-05:00

There is a big difference between I can and I will. In my world, I hear a lot of I can, and not a lot of I will. With I can, there is a chance to back out, and not live up to your word, but I will says commitment. I'm reminded the words I speak and the commitments I make matter.

Ecclesiastes 5

1 Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Some fools go there to offer sacrifices, even though they haven’t sinned. But it’s best just to listen when you go to worship. 2 Don’t talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don’t talk too much. 3 If you keep thinking about something, you will dream about it. If you talk too much, you will say the wrong thing.

4 God doesn’t like fools. So don’t be slow to keep your promises to God. 5 It’s better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it. 6 Don’t let your mouth get you in trouble!

Based on Experience

2009-08-04T08:39:00.005-05:00

So last week, Steve came to me and asked me if I would preach on Sunday night. I told him I would love too and was really excited to do so. In 7 or 8 years of ministry, I've been fortunate enough to speak hundreds of times, so this shouldn't have been any big deal for me to get ready for. I realized shortly after saying yes, that wasn't the case. As I did a lot of wrestling with the text that week, I found out there was a lot of emotion wrapped up in this for me and self imposed pressure to perform.

(Many of you who know me well, know this is one of the things I obsess about in my life. I've spent more time watching & listening to guys that I'm willing to admit.

Yeah, it's probably a little weird to you, and at times, weird to me to)

The reasons I thought I had to perform:

1. We've got the best in the business around here when it comes to communicating.
2. It had been over 2 1/2 years since I was asked to speak to a mainly adult audience.

When those are at the forefront of your brain, you automatically think you've got to rise up to the challenge...

Saying all that.... well... It wasn't the best sermon I've ever preached. I mean, it was probably a 6.5 I struggled through a lot of it, had a hard time balancing my time, struggled into transitioning on to the next point, and really left with out a strong conclusion.

Putting all that pressure on yourself and then not performing, you might imagine how disappointed I was.

However this was the best thing that could have ever happen to me because of all the stuff I learned / relearned.

Here's what I Learned:

1. Know your audience. Just because you are successful with one audience doesn't mean that will carry over.

2. Allow the people in the audience who you trust to be honest with you.

3. Allow the experts to critique you, and make you better. I sat down with Steve and Brent and listened intently as they poured so much into me.

4. Don't think you are to good to learn from everyone. If you can't learn from people, than you've got a heart issue.

5. Realize that everyone won't think you are Billy Graham.

6. It's in these moments that God renews your passion to refine the gifts God has given you.

7. Let it go, trust God, and get ready for the next week.

Dave Rants

2009-07-15T15:35:00.001-05:00

Golf W/The Fellas

2009-07-07T10:28:00.002-05:00

Can Your PC Do This?

2009-06-25T12:30:00.002-05:00

As you all know I am a Mac Only kinda guy.

Here's one example. Can Your PC do this? (That's a Macbook Pro incase you are wondering.)

I used to be..

2009-06-08T22:42:00.004-05:00

I used to be the youngest one on staff

Now I've got 4 & 5 years on some of our new guys.

I used to be the one asking all the questions

Now I find myself answering a lot of them, and giving away all the stuff I've learned these past 7 or 8 years in ministry.

I used to be the one who struggled getting to the office before 8:15

Now many days, I find myself there before 7:15.

I used to get to spend money anyway I wanted

Now I spend all of it paying rent, utilities, trash, etc..

I used to weigh 210-215

I now weigh 175-180

I used to not take my day off.

Now I'm determined that I do.

I used to give my opinion the second I didn't agree with something.

I now hold my tongue, think, process and find out most of the time I was wrong in the beginning.

I used to procrastinate about the small boring day to day things.

I now only procrastinate some of the time about the small boring day to day things.

I used to be a baby about doing the stuff I didn't want to.

I now... well yeah, ok I"m still working on that one..

I used to be in love with chipotle.

I now find it undesirable and prefer not to eat there.

Ok, that last one was a total lie. I still love chipotle

I used to be stubborn.

I now... well, I'm still stubborn.

I used to want to be the boss.

Ok, well that hasn't changed either, but I know I've got a long way to go before I pastor a church of any size, and am completely grateful that I get to serve under our executive staff.

I"m not for sure what has happen to me over the past year, but these are some of the things I see, and know there's a lot of things that I can't wait to say.... I used to be...

BRB

2009-05-19T22:01:00.001-05:00

Blog, I'll get back to you... promise

Catalyst West Coast Day One.

2009-05-01T17:45:00.002-05:00

Catalyst Day One from J Parker on Vimeo.

Cali. Day Two

2009-04-28T18:01:00.002-05:00

A little trip to Laguna Beach before the conference started that morning.

6 Hard Questions

2009-04-27T17:30:00.003-05:00

Here are the 6 questions that we are asking ourselves in the worship department. Perhaps you should ask them in your life and in your context.

1. Do you still love your job?

2. Do you consistently seek after him before you step on the stage/step into your office?

3. Are you just going through the motions?

4. Do your people see you as their leader? (spiritually as well)

5. Would you still be at this church, and do what you do if you didn't get a paycheck?

6. Is your spiritual life evident to the people you are leading?

Cali. Day One

2009-04-22T18:57:00.003-05:00

So I'm here for the Catalyst West conference and flew out a day early to site see. Been here a couple of times for work, but never did anything besides that.

Southern California... It's nice... Not for sure why more people don't live here.

Gary,The Other Side of Me.

2009-04-16T21:48:00.004-05:00

Some of you only know me by my serious side. Some of you have only know me by my crazy side. Many of you know me by both. (I feel sorry for you) Here's a little taste of the crazy side. Meet Gary, the character that I play in kidstuf a couple times a month when I'm not trying to use my serious side in youth ministry.

Easter = Wow

2009-04-14T15:54:00.005-05:00

It's hard to explain what happen Sunday. All I can say is... if you weren't there, you missed the most exciting Sunday we've ever had and we have a lot of exciting Sundays.
This video doesn't describe in full how it all went down.

The 25 person worship choir, the glitter, confetti, the lighted trash cans (straight out of stomp), the live 5 minute painting that Karen did, the worship and sermon were incredible. I was proud of our team for pulling it all out, and I am thankful for what great talented people we have at our church. It's nice when the plan all comes together and God shows up big. All of it was amazing... well except the red carpet. One thing I never expected is how the glitter and confetti would make it to every part of our facilities even making it across the street.

On a side note. We had 1100 people worship with us on Sunday. Not bad for a town of 6,000

I'll post the actual pictures when Don gets back from vacation.

The Res.

2009-04-02T07:48:00.008-05:00

We shot this for our student ministry, answering the common questions about the resurrection. What was it like? Why is it important? What if it happen today? etc...

Check out the previous picture below to get the behind the scenes visual.

where were you?

2009-03-31T14:19:00.005-05:00

This was me at 645 this morning. Where were you & what were u doing?

Please don't be jealous of my sweet outfit. It was incredibly muddy.

I'll post the finished video later this week.

Don't Miss Today Because You Are Worried About Tomorrow.

2009-03-29T22:02:00.007-05:00

The Washington Post placed Joshua Bell, the world’s best violin player, in a Washington DC Metro stop to work his magic. Would people stop and listen to the world’s best violin player who’s playing one of the world’s best violins (his violin was made in 1730 and cost $3.5 million)

1,097 people walked past him and only a handful stopped to listen. They were completely ignoring a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear this guy.

Today was a good day for us, not just a good day, but an unexpected day where God really did some big things. Sometimes I think we miss these days too often because we are too worried about tomorrow. Let's stop, take a look around and see today as it's suppose to be.

Be Who You Be # 1

2009-03-23T22:12:00.008-05:00

Let me first start out telling you who I am.

Selfish, stubborn, strong willed, over critical, a little bit obsessive & never satisfied.

(A bit of a diva)

I know what you're thinking... wow... he's a real charmer.

(Please ladies, reframe from leaving me your numbers in the comment section below.)

BUT THAT'S WHO I AM! That's not who you may be. However I feel like more and more often these days, we are striving and fighting to be like someone else. Someone we are not.

I had a friend and I realized the longer our relationship extended, the more and more he was trying to be me. Even from the odd things that I did (I won't go into those) he would also do. The way I dressed, the way I talked, and even the way I shaved my legs. He, (and maybe I should add narcissistic to my list) was looking for someone to be, because he wasn't satisfied with who he was, so he chose me.

Obviously by my first statements, I'm not the best person to emulate!

We've all done this... I have several man crushes... who I often look to their insight on how to live, but the question is, Why don't we just be who we be? (yes I know that wasn't proper english)

We will unpack this in future posts.

Are you happy the way God created you? If not, why?

We are created in his image, he has made us each individual with different characteristics, likes, dislikes, personalities, talents, looks, and skills.

Let's rejoice in this!

Next post: Be who you be- communication

Reframed

2009-03-19T22:27:00.009-05:00

Start of our new series Reframed, and the days leading up to it.

Enjoy

Creativity vs. Imagination

2009-03-15T22:30:00.012-05:00

After walking through our church this morning I felt of a sense of satisfaction with all that we accomplished this week with such a short turn around.

Yes it almost killed me, but I felt good about what we accomplished. Sure there are things that I will fix this week, because there always is. But it got me thinking a lot about creativity.

Creativity isn't creativity if it's just an idea. That's called imagination.

Creativity: having the quality or power of creating.

If you are just an idea guy. You may call yourself a creative, I'll call you an imaginary.

The Door Is Worth Fighting 4

2009-02-27T14:44:00.007-06:00

2nd week in our youth ministry series Guerilla Empire.

If you get that far (26 minutes) and wonder what the beeping is. I preach with a timer and well let's just say that's the first time I've ever been on any stage and forgot about it.

woops..

Hope

2009-02-19T08:32:00.011-06:00

This is the short film series we are calling "Hope" that we are placing in the hands of hundreds of people throughout our community.

I'm glad to say it's finally finished. It turned out pretty well, especially since I'm a rookie at all of this.

It's 25 minutes long, so if you've got some time, or just want to skim through all of the locations we shot, check it out.

And as T.O. would say, "get your popcorn ready!"

Thanks for all of you who helped out with this project. You guys are amazing!

Social Networking

2009-02-10T19:36:00.005-06:00

Here's the new list for the top 25 social networks.

My 2 observations:

1. Thank Goodness Facebook has taken over Myspace for the # 1 spot. I keep telling out students that myspace is for losers, and that once you hit college, you will realize that.

2. Twitter, if you don't know what this is, then you are behind. It's time to catch up! it took quite a big leap this year. (From 22 to 3)

The Bum In The Corner

2009-01-30T11:55:00.004-06:00

Our youth ministry is in the middle of a series called "Fanatic" and this week we wanted to challenge students to radically love people like Jesus did. I realized that if our students were going to change the way they looked at people, we were going to have to do something drastic! So we did, we put a bum in the corner of the room as people walked in. Not a real bum, but a student we dressed as one, and wow did he look real.

As the night progressed, and the stares and looks continued, I finally closed my talk by calling him out of the corner, and sat him on the stage finally removing the wig and hat. You can probably imagine the look on their faces as we revealed his real identity.

My closing remarks were this: Although they may not look like this, there are hundreds of people we come across everyday, that are hurting, lonely, depressed, and are in need of love. Jesus saw these people, spent time with them, and loved them, often times making them well. If we are to be like him, it's time we take radical steps to do the same!

Stop and take time this week to simply love people!

The Top 10

2009-01-23T17:41:00.009-06:00

In their most recent article, Fast Company ranked the most innovative companies in the world:

The Full List Is Here:

The Top 1o:

1. Google

2. Apple

3. Facebook

4. GE

5. IDEO

6. Nike

7. Nokia

8. Alibaba

9. Amazon

10.Nintendo

My Day In 100 Seconds

2009-01-16T11:49:00.003-06:00

My Day in 100 seconds... minus the boring stuff

My Day In 100 seconds from J Parker on Vimeo.

My Afternoon in 90 Seconds

2009-01-13T20:30:00.012-06:00

My Monday Afternoon.

It's Only Monday!!!

2009-01-12T21:19:00.003-06:00

What a week, and it's only Monday!! Who knows what else will be on this list. This is the reason I won't be calling any of you back this week who want to shoot the breeze.

Sorry, Love you.

The Wedding

2009-01-09T11:51:00.004-06:00

Here is the latest video we shot for an upcoming dvd we are releasing to the community. This is the extended version, and is a little long. It will be broken into 3 sections all across the dvd.

This is one of 7 videos we will be releasing.

Hope you enjoy!

The Wedding from J Parker on Vimeo.

2009 Goals

2009-01-07T11:07:00.010-06:00

Here they are, in all their glory, some small, some ridiculous, some large:

* Move into a house

* Seminary

* Pay off revolving debt

* Start Retirement Plan

* Take a vacation

* Make blog a bigger deal

* Make hard decisions in worship ministry

*Ask hard questions about my leadership often

* Keep Head Shaven

* Get to & Keep Weight @ 175-180

* Find a hobby

* Learn To Relax

* Get A.D.D. under control (completed 1/7/09)

* Go to doctor regularly

* Deal w/ Baggage

* Get More Tats

Don't tell the boss, or most conservative moms about the last one...

What in the Sam Hill?

2009-01-04T11:49:00.003-06:00

I'm not for sure what he wants from me when he does this...

It's a little creepy if you ask me...

Just sayin'

Bump on My Tongue

2008-12-27T18:03:00.002-06:00

Bump on My Tongue from J Parker on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T14:40:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from J Parker on Vimeo.

Dear Internet...

2008-12-16T21:59:00.012-06:00

Today I acted like Brittney,Whitney, & Mariah. You may recognize this to be a "diva." Sometimes I do this. Just thought I would let you to know.

My apologies.

Constant Frustration

2008-11-30T19:35:00.007-06:00

No matter how hard I try, I"m never satisfied with anything.

Does my constant drive for something better lead to an ongoing frustration which turns into boredom?

Maybe....

Tonight I sit at home, replaying conversations, thinking about our 3 services, design, order, and the talk that I gave today.

I'm even frustrated with the lack of commitment I'm giving to this thing.

I'll try to be more regular.

Yes... I need a hobby.

Finish Strong

2008-11-17T20:15:00.004-06:00

Here's the latest video we did for the last week in our series "One Month To Live"

Finish Strong from J Parker on Vimeo.

The Wilderness

2008-11-12T22:14:00.006-06:00

Here is this week's video we did as a intro into my talk.

A big shout out to my director Tommy Smith!

The Wilderness from J Parker on Vimeo.

Leadership

2008-11-11T18:33:00.008-06:00

Today like most days we sat down at Stevie's to enjoy Kaufman's finest bbq. What started out like any other day, ended with some hard conversation about leadership.

After much thinking and debating: I find this to be the perfect description of what leadership truly is.

"The job of a leader today is not to create more followers, but to create more Leaders."

Ralph Nader

The question we have to ask ourselves is "are we creating more leaders?"

The Room

2008-11-04T12:38:00.007-06:00

Here's a video, we just finished...

I'm pretty proud of it.. There were a couple of edits I would have changed, but all in all I like it.

Let me know what you think...

The Room from J Parker on Vimeo.

Living 1/2 Dead

2008-10-22T21:57:00.009-05:00

As I've been thinking through our new series " One Month To Live" I've really had to take hard look at the way I've been living my life over the past year. I've become a pessimist and like the title suggest, perhaps life hasn't been as exciting or full of zeal that it should be.

One of my first steps in this initiative was to start the diet that has been posted previously called "Don't Eat Me" As I stepped on the scale Monday, I was 177 pounds, the lightest I've been since I was a freshman in college. Only 7 pounds to the goal.

The second thing I did was to buy a Ruckus. (Yes, that's the picture you could be laughing at above) This probably seems like a shallow or silly thing to do, but to be honest I don't know the last time I had this much fun or felt this free. I never remember having this much fun on my daily drives to work, the store, and around town.

Make fun of me all you want, but @ 121 miles to the gallon, it's looking like it's gonna cost me $1.50 for gas this month. If anyone should be laughing, it should be me all the way to the bank.

My list doesn't just stop with these 2 things, but I don't want to bore you.

You've got 720 hours a month, how are you spending them? What would you do if you knew you only had one month to live? What would you start doing? What would you stop? Who would you apologize to? What would you fix?

Don't wait, do it now!

As for me and my "man moped" we are on a new initiative.

Don't Eat Me Week #3

2008-10-14T14:47:00.003-05:00

Here are my week three results: Not a bad week, but my pace at which I lose weight has become stagnant. I've gotta break the plateau. It's not looking likely this week. As we speak, I'm laid up on my couch with a bad back!

Pray that I recover fast, or I will become stir crazy.

Don't Eat Me Week #2

2008-10-06T18:58:00.003-05:00

2 weeks= 22.6 pounds

Trucking right along!! I really didn't expect to lose this much weight this fast. We will see if it keeps happening. Who knows?

My new target weight is now 170.

"Nothing New Under The Sun"

2008-10-04T21:00:00.005-05:00

As I watch " The New Knight Rider" I can't help but think how bad it is. After 58 minutes of the show, I've realized that they've done a horrible job trying to recreate the original.

This episode is an exact rip off of Gone in 60 seconds & Fast and The Furious all rolled into one big TV mess.

Why do companies try to do this? Why can't people be creative, think of new thoughts, come up with new ideas? I often hear the quote "there is nothing new under the sun". Sometimes I feel like that's a great cop-out for people not to use their brains or be creative. That's also a misuse of the scripture in it's original context.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't think you've got to recreate the wheel, and many times we should follow the lead if the leader is worth following.

If you can't use an old idea and make it better, or you decrease it's value or reputation with your use of it, please stop.

When I see " The New Knight Rider" It reminds me of how we Christians have been ripping off secular ideas for years and claiming them as our own. Many times in completely embarrassing ways.

Examples:

Abreadcrum and fish (Abercrombie and Fitch)

Got Jesus? (Milk Commercial)

Dance Praise Dance Pad (Dance Dance Revolution)

Scripture Solitaire (Solitaire)

Guitar Praise Hero/Christian Rock Band (Guitar Hero)

Scripture Mints

Hisway- the right way (Burger King)

Hisway- this can also be used as the subway logo.

Jesus Christ- The Only Superhero (superman logo with JC in the middle)

My Victory Lane Is In Heaven (Nascar)

Jesus Inside (Intel)

Jesus, Have you spoke to him lately (Ford)

All Faith (All State Insurance)

Teenage Jesus Worshiping Christians (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Faith Book (Facebook)

I could go on for days, but will spare your time.

One day, it would be nice if we were the ones leading the industries and companies were copying us. Right now, it's completely the opposite. It's no wonder why people make fun of us.

Our God is creative, and we are made in his image, maybe it's time we start acting like it.

I'm just sayin'

P.S. 1. My prediction is that Knight Rider doesn't make it past the first year.

2. Ford must be paying big money to make this show happen.

Don't Eat Me Week # 1

2008-09-27T21:25:00.007-05:00

Week one= 191

14 pounds the first week. A lot more than I expected !! Let's see if I can't keep it going.

They say the first week is where you lose a lot of your weight.. Because a lot of if is water weight. The problem will be keeping it off and progressing downward.

Only 11 hard pounds to go. maybe if I'm lucky I'll shoot for 20.

Thank you to all of you who are keeping me accountable!

Don't Eat Me...

2008-09-22T12:07:00.007-05:00

So here's the deal... I've done a lot of looking in the mirror lately and I'm not the man I want to be... I'm not talking mentally or spiritually although those two things need work. But, I am talking physically.

It all started with this sudden epiphany from God as I climbed to the top of the A & M stadium... ok well maybe it wasn't an epiphany but my own body telling me that I was way out of shape and have been for the past 3 years.

I realized after watching the latest Chase bank commercial and catching their new slogan "Chase Importance" that it hit me.. Even though that's the same message the church has been screaming for hundreds of years and even though I've stood on stages time and time again proclaiming those exact things... I realized that I've let the unimportant things take over the important things in my life. One of those is my health.

So here's where I need your help. I need to lose 25 pounds or so. Right now I'm 205 lbs and for all you math majors out there, you've already discovered my target weight is 180.

Every week, I will be posting a picture of the scale. I need you to hold me accountable.

My plan:

1. Increased physical activity (2 miles a night, gym, and vball one or two nights a week)

2. Less caloric intake. (no more ultimate cheeseburgers and double quarter pounders)

3. An increased amount of protein as well as water ( I hate water)

Thus burning more calories than consumed causing my body to burn more fat at an accelerated rate, thus causing weight loss.

I need to burn 3500 additional calories a week for every one pound of fat that I want to lose. That's 70,000 extra calories that I have to burn over the next several months, not including my standard caloric requirements at 205.

So, when you see me, ask me how I'm doing. According to my site meter on the blog I get an approximate two hundred hits per week. I will need all of your help.

Thanks

Concerned Sluggard

All Bark And No Bite...

2008-09-09T16:58:00.019-05:00

I read this article today from Collide and thought it was dead on...

Today, a lot of the world tuned in as Apple announced the release of updated iPods and iTunes, but no one was really impressed.

Over the past few years, Apple has consistently astonished the world with its new products. From new operating systems, to thinner notebooks, to the new iPhone, Apple has dazzled us and created an expectation that every release to follow will do the same. But there’s no way Apple could hit a home run every time. Today, we experienced this. The release of the new iPod Nano, iPod Touch, and iTunes 8 wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. Nothing really impressive. Nothing we haven’t seen before. Just a pretty new shell. All in time for the holiday shopping season.

Apple has managed to create such hype around every product release that no other company can even match it. Who cares that Microsoft released a new Zune today or that Sony created the worlds thinnest LCD TV? Other companies release and refresh products all the time and no one cares, but when it comes to Apple, the whole world seems to look on. The problem is, when you create so much hype around your products, you must deliver. Apple failed to do that today and the world was let down. So why does this matter?

As a church/business, when you launch a new ministry/venture, event, service, or website, it is greatly important to create a lot of hype around the launch. Build it up, pass out flyer, send mailers and email blasts; whatever works, do it. But be careful. What you are promoting is even more important than the hype itself. If what you’ve built up isn’t all it’s hyped up to be, it will quickly fall flat and fail. If you create an expectation but don’t deliver, people will be disappointed and let down. The newness of something, in itself, is enough to impress for a while, but that will quickly wear off.

Learn from Apple’s mistake: If you are creating hype around a launch, you must deliver beyond the expectations.

Here's just a few companies who have nailed it with their long term marketing strategies and name.

Kleenex

Chap Stick

Coke

Q Tips

Pampers

By the way: I still heart Apple!!!

7 Years Later..

2008-08-25T17:55:00.011-05:00

Last post I took a look back at what I learned as an intern 7 years ago.

This week: Things I'm currently learning from the leaders I get to work beside everyday.

Although the list is long, I will keep it brief:

From PB (the boss)

1. Constantly push your staff to new heights, and take them places they never thought they can go.

2. Just because you are the boss, doesn't mean you get to work less.

(He is the hardest working, and most driven man I know)

3. Laugh at yourself

4. Work well with your team. (Even though he has the authority to make every decision, he is always asking input from our team)

5. Think Big- always look forward to what is next ahead!

(he is constantly thinking 3-5 years down the line, Rome wasn't built in one day)

6. Learn to separate and set healthy boundaries

(everyone always wants something from him)

7. Push your leaders to be better leaders

From Steve:

1. Lead well from the second chair

(the man is a great leader, everyone comes to Steve w/all of our junk looking for advice)

2. Learn to rest

3. Persevere in the hard times

4. Invest in mentorship

5. Love people

6. It's ok not have to have all the answers right now.

From Beth:

1. Woman can be great leaders!

2. Delegate well

3. Know your strengths and weaknesses

Things I'm learning about myself over of the past year:

1. I'm to cynical and judgmental

2. I can't say no

3. It's hard for me to relax and take a day off

4. I hate being called a techie...

Things I Learned As A 19 Year Old Punk Intern

2008-08-04T23:27:00.006-05:00

As I was sitting at the table with the two smartest men I know today. The topic of interns came up. As we sat there and talked about it, I finally realized how much I learned as an Intern. Here's the list:

From CCBC and It's Leadership Staff:

1. Quit being a punk.

2. Learn to respect authority.

(Sorry John Mark, I was a PUNK!)

3. Just because you have an opinion doesn't mean you've got to share it all the time

From Brian: I could go on and on here, but heres the short list from him:

3. I was a messy roommate! (Sorry Brian)

4. Your title and your paycheck don't reflect your importance to a ministry.

**we could have never made it without him

5. Learn to give yourself away.

**He bought me more bagels for breakfast than I could ever repay him for.

6. Be yourself, never change who you are just to please others.

7. Loyalty

From Randy:

8. Learn To Take Chances On People

*He took a huge one on me!

9. Invest In Peoples Lives

*It was because of his leadership as a Student Pastor that I'm in ministry today

10. Be versatile.

*Don't be good at just one thing! Invest and learn other avenues in ministry

He would often give me assignments to do that Brian was much better at and could have done in half the time. He did that to stretch me!!

11. Learn to Delegate:

* I have to admit, I'm still working on this one!!

From Jeremy:

12. Ministry is not just 8 to 5. Get your butt to work!

*During my first week on the job, I was a little tardy everyday :) Jeremy sent me a not so nice email explaining to me the importance of what we do, and that I needed to quit being lazy! I thought that's what working for a church was all about. I still know many people who think that ministry is 8 to 5. Boy are they wrong!

13. Be A Team Player

14. Have Fun

* It was his idea that we go through the car wash with me on top of the car for a video!!

15. Challenge Students Intellectually

From Holly:

16. True Friendships Are Better Than Anything On This Planet

*I've never laughed so much in my life!

17. Shut Up and Listen To People, because Many times they are trying to pour out their lives to you.

18. Marble Slab Is Good!!!

From Elizabeth:

19. Just because it's not your ministry, doesn't mean it's not important

* I showed up to VBS Drama Practice without knowing my lines, she gave me the look and told me I better memorize them if I wanted to be on stage. From that day forward, I don't step on any stage un-prepared no matter what it is! It's my first priority as a speaker!

From Jessica:

20. Learn To Laugh & Don't Take Yourself So Seriously!

Trust Me, That's on a small portion of the list. What a great learning experience!

Thank you guys, and sorry I was a punk!!

Next blog: The things I'm learning today 7 years later!

What Would Jesus Twitter?

2008-07-20T22:55:00.005-05:00

I have found myself lately becoming an "evangelist" for Twitter. The more I research the company, the more I become intrigued by who actually twitters.

Presidential Candidates, fire stations reporting on the latest fire, airline companies posting huge discounts, CNN, MTV, Whole Foods, Day Cares, Churches, twitter from Kenya, twitter from Hong Kong, twitter from the moon, twitter from mars. You name it and it's being twittered by and about.

I've began to wonder, why has twitter become so popular? The same reason, that Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, Loopt, Hictu and Pownce have.

There all based on one simple fact: People need community, they have a need to feel connected, they were created to live, move and breathe with others. It's started from the very beginning. It was part of the plan.. the divine plan. God has created you and I to do life together, to share, laugh, cry, play and work together. People need community. Twitter is just another part of that connection.

I've slowly seen Twitter and Facebook change the way we communicate as a staff and that as a Church. It will soon take president in the way we promote series, events and cast vision.

So would Jesus Twitter? What would he say? Can you even tell a parable in less than 2 sentences? How would he use his 140 characters to change lives? Maybe since he's Jesus aka God he gets more twitter space? ...I don't know.. I"m just asking

Here's what Twitter constantly reminds me of.. LIFE IS BRIEF!!

You get 140 characters to set the intro, plot, climax and conclusion.. You've got to use those characters wisely to tell your story.

Life is brief, connect with the people around you and Use your 140 characters wisely...

I Live in the Mouse's House

2008-07-06T00:00:00.004-05:00

That's right, there is a mouse in my house, and I've named him Walter. To be honest, Walter although looks very cute kinda scares me. (Not surprising I know) I mean the little dude crawled right out in the middle my floor and tried to eat my pizza. (Yes I had a plate of pizza on the floor)

He also tried to hide out in my shoe, so I did what any sensible man would do, I threw pennies at him. Walter didn't respond well to the pennies, and apparently that's no way to catch a mouse.

Since then I've devised a plan with good ol' peanut butter. We'll see if it works.

As I was thinking about how Walter has taken control of my house, I realize the same thing is true about some of the junk in our lives. Although it can seem cute & harmless at times, it causes us to live in a way that God doesn't intend for us to live and robs us of our purpose and joy.

What are the things in our lives that no one knows about, and that hide out in the deep cabinets of our soul? What are the things that cause us to miss our purpose and joy?

What is our plan to rid ourselves away from it?

Just something to think about...

In other local news: I'm back on the teaching block this week, thankful to be back because I've missed it deeply.

Just some thoughts about a mouse...

From Concrete to Dust

2008-06-23T21:26:00.010-05:00

The last two weeks have been defining moments for me this year, oddly enough with the same God inspired result. I probably couldn't have been in two of the most different places in the world in back to back weeks.

The first week, we flew to Chi-Town (my favorite city) for the biggest Creative Arts Conferences in the country. We had a great time, it was refreshing, relaxing, and a time of renewal for our team. However we didn't walk out of there with any life changing concepts. At first I was very frustrated, because I had all of these preconceived ideas on what we would take home, and how it would change the way we did church.

Could it be that a church of 6 or 700 in a country town create services like that of churches that are 10 times our size. I think the answer is yes... Maybe not on the same production level, but with the same innovative creative concepts.

What I learned is that we were doing stuff right. We are in a good place. We are in a place where God wants us to be: We've got to keep pushing to get better, take chances, fall down and get back up!

But in the end, BE SATISFIED and ENJOY WHERE YOU ARE!

A lot of times, that's hard for me.

After Chi-town we turn right around and make the drive to Mexico. What a journey!

For the first times in my life, I experienced the way the rest of the world lives. With my own eyes I watched and eight year old girl with a stick in hand dig through piles and piles of trash in a land fill to find food and something for shelter. It turns out that's what she does all day with the rest of her family for life and income.

I took this picture one night before our VBS just a a simple reminder to all of us to pray for these people! I can't wait to see what God does as we continue to partner with these cities.

My take home from Mexico: Never take your life for granted. Enjoy where you are at!

Enjoy your home. Enjoy your family, Enjoy your friends. For we are in a good place.

God takes me across the country in two totally different economic stratospheres just to say:

Enjoy, don't take where you are and what it is given to you for granted because one day it can all change.

Seems simple.. huh, but sometimes it's so easy to forget how good we have it.

Man.. it's good to be home.

Leaving Yesterday...

2008-06-09T20:49:00.010-05:00

(I Stole that title from a band I once knew.)

I took this picture yesterday on the way to the water park that we rented out. Yesterday in all of it's chaos was incredible. We had over 750 in worship and 115 in our Hispanic service... It was a good day with lots of energy. Any time you let a band all under the age of 11 lead worship, there is energy, no matter what they sound like.. I say all that to say I'm thankful to be at this place in my journey together with these people. It's taken some weird twist to get here, but I'm glad I'm here....

That picture reminds me of the thousands of churches and people around the country that are always looking in the rear view thinking back to the "good old days." (Sometimes I'm one of them.)

What were the good old days ? I mean... really?

Do you even remember them?

Did you even consider them good days?

I'm glad we are at a place, where we can focus on the big picture. The one in front of us, the future.

It's time we quit looking in the past, and start remembering the past is the past for a reason.

It's time to forgive, forget and celebrate what you've learned. It's time to move on.. together..

These are the days to step out, trust, love, support, and enjoy where we are going together.

It's time to quit looking back in the rear view, and starting looking ahead..

It's time to do something big.. It's time to dream..

Let's leave yesterday... shall we?

Ecclesiastes 7: 8

The Black Jelly Bean

2008-06-02T23:11:00.011-05:00

As I was sitting at the hospital today, waiting for the boss to get his shoes shined (on my recommendation.) We met a man name "Dr. Shoe" As I sat there and watched the man, I was somehow reminded of the black jelly bean. Let's be honest, no one likes the black jelly bean, they are different, lack color and taste horrible. The black jelly bean is the outcast of the family. No one wants to associate with it. In fact, many people will go through bags just to pick them out to throw them away.

I'm not for sure, why Dr. Shoe reminded me of this. Perhaps, because he was a little different, extremely hard to understand and may have once in his lifetime been the outcast.

But the man had a passion for shoes, he had a passion for his job, and he had a passion for people.

I'm thankful that God creates those who are different, I am thankful that God uses a man who shines shoes to remind me that there are those in my life who are the black jelly bean that I need to love on, extend a hand of encouragement to and to pray for.

If we were honest, we've all been the black jelly bean one time or another in our life. During those times, we look for love, acceptance, and a good hug.

Who is the black jelly bean in your life? Don't know of someone?

Perhaps we never notice them because we look over them.

Perhaps we never notice because we aren't looking.

I think there is something when Jesus says love your neighbor as yourself. It's easy to love those who we have a lot in common with, fit into your crowd, and aren't an embarrassment to be around.

Perhaps, to many times, we are Christ followers have said this to the black jelly beans.

It isn't easy to love the black jelly bean, but Christ does just as much as You and I, and he calls us to do the same!

Do You Trust Me?

2008-05-26T17:05:00.011-05:00

As I was driving home the other night later than I should have been. God was really dealing with me on TRUST. I realize that I put my trust in a car that doesn't have adequate brakes, needs it's oil changed and a front end alignment. Saying all that, I still fly around country road corners seeing only 50 to a 100 feet in front of me a lot faster than I should.

I have let the address book on my blackberry take over my ability to memorize phone numbers. I have let spell check, fix my need to spell words correctly. I have let my calendar remind me of big dates that I should remember. I have let twitter and the text message replace my sense to pick up a phone and call someone. These are the things I put my trust in on a daily basis.

But because of the past year of my life, I have extreme issues when it comes to trusting in people. There is a chance, that I don't trust everyone I should. There is a chance I don't trust you. I'm sorry that this is the case. It's not you, it's me...

Here's the way lack of trust effects me:

I don't delegate well.

Because I don't delegate well, I may work to much.

I double and triple check mostly everything. By doing this, I sometimes forget the important things because I'm too busy double checking other things.

I'm sometimes more negative than I should be.

I'm extremely skeptical of a person the first time I meet them.... especially young women in their 20's.

Saying all that, I truly appreciate the people I do trust. I work on a great staff. I've got great friends, and an incredible family that are helping me get over these trust issues.

I appreciate the people who trust me, my opinions and my views.

What do you trust? Who do you trust? What are the things that have replaced your need to trust in yourself?

Why do we put more trust in the things that are easy? Why do we put more trust in the things that will never satisfy or give us purpose? Why don't more people trust Jesus as the Lord of their lives?

Is it perhaps because many people look at us (who follow Jesus) like this guy?

I read in the bible that following Jesus won't be easy,

but a tumor exploding out of your leg and getting kicked in the face by a preacher.

ouch... that's gotta hurt.

I don't know about all of that, but I do know God is teaching me it's time to trust again, it's time to be vulnerable with the people I do life with.

Trust.... It can be a scary thing.

I Have High Expectations... on some things.

2008-05-20T19:54:00.010-05:00

Some people, mainly the people that I do life with, say that sometimes I set to high of a standard when it comes to our church services and I'm too critical with what we do on Sunday Mornings. They are probably right.

For instance, there is probably never a week that I walk out of a service and truly feel we did everything perfectly. I understand perfect has different context for different people.

This is extremely the case in the baccalaureate service we put on for the H.S. In my mind, it was a disaster! The band doesn't show up, the mic isn't on when people are talking, the stage isn't well lit. The music was to loud during the talking by the principal. The projector shook at times. You couldn't hear the choir, we had no pre-service music, etc.. I could keep going, but I"m starting to bore you.. I would give that service a 7. I would give it a 7 for the concept ,the message, and the technology. It was used in an incredible way. Everything else.... well never mind

I would give our late service Sunday a 9.8 We hit this one out of the park. The feel, the concept, the theme and the worship set was just like we had hoped it would be. I was really proud of our team. The one thing I would change was I would have switched around the songs in the order.

Steve was great! One day, this man will be a great pastor, (however we all pray God doesn't take him away from us anytime soon.)

Saying that I have high expectations ordinarily means that it would be the same throughout every aspect of my life, but I realize it's not.

If you look at my car, which I pay too much money for, it's dirty, if you look at my room, its not well organized...if you look at my to do list, there's so many things to get done that I put off. There are some things I couldn't care a bit about.

It's weird the things people are passionate for, and the things people aren't.

Am I the only person like this? Do you stress out about certain things, and then act the direct opposite about other things in your life?

How can someone think, deliberate, plan, obsess over one thing, and procrastinate about the rest of life? My favorite verse in the Bible is Col: 3:23. Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as for working for the Lord, not for men.

This verse is my favorite, not because I like it, but because it haunts me daily. I realize there are certain things in my life that I am not working with all my heart on for God. Even the little things are for God, and are used to make him famous. I sometimes forget that.

P.S. Yes I realize that God still shows up in services, and that he is sovereign. I just need to be reminded of that on Sunday afternoons about 12:45 when my blood pressure is over 220/100.

I'm a man, i swear.... & possibly a Pharisee

2008-05-13T20:19:00.012-05:00

I'm a man, I swear but there are many things that I notice on a daily basis. Actually I pay attention and notice everything. I notice the details. Many people say that's the opposite of the man "who thinks in boxes, and are also known as waffles" I sometimes, probably more often than not think like a woman. There are thousands of small things that I process continuously, and are stored like RAM (random accesses memory) in my head. (For all you computer geeks, I realized that I'm using RAM in the wrong context so quit bad mouthing me)

One of the things I notice and pay attention to is fashion, I always have, maybe it's because I grew up with 2 women all my life, and maybe it's because I never wanted to dress like my father.

I notice what people wear, when they wear it and how they wear it. I notice when people get new clothes that are around me. I notice the trends, who sets them and who rebells against them.

Here's a list that I kept in my head over the past 6 or 8 months that seems to be hot in the fashion world: This has a point I promise, just keep reading.

Women:

Skinny Jeans

Ballet Shoes (Flats)

Jeans and High Heels

Tights worn under dresses and skirts

The old school ring that stretches across two fingers that LL Cool J use to wear.

The Color White

UGG Boots with tights worn as pants.

Bright colored dress pants.

Linen Dress. (Not for sure if Linen is the correct fabric, they are the ones the girls wear on the Hills.)

Pregnant Shirts (not maternity shirts that are for pregnant women, but ones that have a lose flowing bottom)

Seersucker, or articles of clothing that look similar

Men:

Beards

Dark Thick Rimmed Glasses.

The Skinny Tie

Not fastening the top bottom on your dress shirt when wearing a tie. (It says I'm trying to be professional but not to uptight. ) one of my favorites

Chuck Taylors seem to be making a comeback.

Casual shoes with a suit

Driving Loafers without socks

Slip Ons

Argyle

The sweater vest when worn correctly.

multi patterned suits, shirts and ties all worn together.

vector patterns on t-shirts.

V-Neck T-shirts

The Old School Bomber Jacket look

Seersucker

Big Belt Buckles

Vests with T-shirts and wrist bands if you are artsy or in a band.

Jeans and untucked dress shirts (Especially true if you pastor a mega church these days)

Things that are dying out:

Pleats... Finally, even though they are still the dominant dress pant.

The Front Tuck.. not as popular as it use to be. (I still do it)

The Soul Patch unless you are a worship leader at our church.

Gold jewelry

It's funny what people do to look good. I'm no exception, I lay out my clothes the night before to prepare. I think about weather, what I've worn in recent days, who my target audience is, the look I'm trying to pull off, and of course, where I'm going. I have this rule where I try not to where the same shirt twice in a month. Ridiculous I know, like anyone else cares what I wear.

Speaking of Looking Good, our softball team really looks good. Our jerseys are far superior in design than any other team hands down. I mean, we look good!! People notice when we walk on the scene...

The problem is we stink!!!! We are bad, we don't care, we are uncommitted, and for most of us, it doesn't really bother us when we lose.

We play softball like many of us follow Jesus. We put on this really good show, we act like we've got it all together, we look good on the outside, but it's our souls that scream a different story. We are uncommitted, we don't care when we don't feel him working in our lives, we don't pray, love our neighbors, or read our bibles. But, we look good in front of others, and we've got the religion thing down!

Many of us have become the Pharisees. . .I'm excited today after working with Steve on his message about what Sunday is going to unfold in our congregation. I can't give it away but here's a sneak peek.

Mothers Day , Mariachis, Beer & Jesus

2008-05-10T12:21:00.016-05:00

Yesterday was my annual shopping trip for Mother's Day. Every year, I buy her the same thing, and end up buying a lot more for me than I do for her. I was determined to change that yesterday.

I started off heading Here to buy some stuff for the office, but to find out, Target has really nice pants. So of course, you can't pass up nice pants, especially when they are 20 bucks. So I Bought them.. (1 for me, none for mom) After Target, my next destination... the mall.

After several trips around, I wondered into this place: (And Yes, they do have men's clothes) It turns out they have really nice shirts for 15 bucks. So I bought two of them! (3 for me, none for mom) After Forever 21, I ended up in here: Of course, I couldn't pass up a 6 dollar shirt that apparently has a hole in it!, and more really nice pants. (That's 5 for me, none for mom) Next I ended up here: So i bought some new flip flops. (6 for me, none for mom)

After the very long day in Dallas, it was nice to come back to K-town for Dinner. I met the Millers and Kellie C at a Fine Establishment called The Blue House. To our surprise, it was Mariachi night which was quite entertaining, even though I didn't know a word they were saying.

Following dinner, we headed back to their house for interesting conversation about toe nails, ear candles, and the large intestine.

About 10 45, we hear a knock on the door, it turns out, it's an old high-school acquaintance of ours who was very, very drunk. He asked to talk to Grant, actually he wanted to pour his whole life on to Grant. So for the next 45 minutes, he rambles on about selling drugs, marriage, divorce, babies and leaving the pen. (Huntsville)

After a lot of Thought on that conversation:

Grant Handled Himself In The Same Jesus Would Have.

Here's How:

1. Grant showed the man, he loved him by listening first.

2. He was not judgemental

3. He spoke in ways and context the man could understand.

4. He was patient

5. Grant was honest with him, and gave him loving correction.

6. Grant provided him hope that there was something much better than this.

It's funny how Jesus shows up at all the unexpected times, I was very proud of Grant!

On another note, we have a series called: Beer, Blackjack & Bootscootin' coming to FBC Sunday Nights very soon!

P.S. I ended up buying Mom, a gift card.... I know, I'm ridiculous...

Sunday Deadlines

2008-05-08T21:52:00.005-05:00

Deadlines are a funny thing... right, I mean, we all have them, we live by them, for many of us, we die by them, some of us they control our lives.

For me, because of my job, I have Sunday deadlines and they are always are at the front of my mind, I get up and think about them, I occasionally eat breakfast and think about them... I go to sleep thinking about them. It's like deadlines and I are dating. I can never get Sunday deadlines out of my head. I think one Sunday deadline at a time. I'm sitting here in my office on a Thursday night at 10 15 pm because of a deadline...

Wait a minute. Maybe it's not deadlines at all...

Maybe it's the fact that I'm so consumed by the thoughts below that the deadlines aren't the real things that drives me. The deadlines are the things I have to accomplish for these questions to be answered each Sunday in our worship experiences.

What do I have to get done this week in order to create a life changing moment with God?

What can we do better this week? What can we do that pushes the envelope? What can we do that different. What can we do that is unexpected. What have we done in the past that works? What can we do that draws more people to Jesus. How to we get more people in this building to hear the gospel? How do we relate to the unchurched? What do they like, what don't they like? What do they need? How can we create an experience that is life changing.

Sunday is a beautiful day.

Beta 1.0

2008-05-06T22:01:00.001-05:00

Today is Day One, (well actually night one if you will. It's about 10:30. I swore I was going to bed and hour ago) the first official day in the blogosphere. After many incredible thoughts from this guy: as well as many others around the country, i figured it was about time to dive in.
Here's a list of possible topics a long the way:

My Life

The Church (The Arts, Programming, Thoughts and Reviews)

Pop Culture
Apple

Theology

Technology

Design

We will see how this week goes as we get ready for the Mothers Day Weekend.