like a fire

So today I asked Jane what she wanted for lunch. I usually try to give her a choice so that she begins to learn the decision making process. She didn’t think about it long.

“Steak!” she replied without missing a beat.

Jane has a thing for steak, just like her mother. We usually give her some when I grill. By “some” I mean, what ever we cook for her and however much she can beg out of us while we are eating.

So today when she said “steak”, I just replied, “Me too.”, but what do you think you will get for lunch? Isn’t it great that she can immediately know what she wants and can communicate that effectively?

She actually ate ham rolled into mini-burritos, pickles and some chips. While this was not steak, it was a realistic substitute in her mind.

For me, mixing is that proof positive of Parkinson’s Law. What ever time is available is how much time it will take to complete a project. Previous other versions just needed improvement. I could just keep mixing things to infinity. So this is probably the last mix, just because I am going to start working on other projects.

I think the final mix, though it has some distinct differences, is more a subtle change other than the intro, which is new. I spent a lot of time on levels and transitions and even more time with positioning. The intro andd remix can mostly be attributed to Kim. She had some good ideas and was in a place where she could tell them to me without me getting defensive like some Prima Donna artist (thanks Kim).

So this is the first of many to come. I’m sure I will get my art together as it progresses.

Make A Joyful Noise ver. 3

Well, I missed graduation back at Orlando. It was quite a year for my friends.

My best friend Johnny just graduated from RTS in the counseling program. I am convinced he will be well known for his craft one day. He is already well known and loved by all the staff at RTS.

Also, there was a big class back at UPC that graduated. I wish that I could have been there to celebrate with them. There are some really great people there and the achievements are amazing. There were four valedictorians from UPC’s youth ministry, which was pretty cool, but there are some bigger achievements than that.

I saw these teens do amazing things together serving in the church. It will always amaze me what God can do with the willing. Yup, that’s just about all it takes - and maybe a little direction.

So congratulations graduates. I look forward to great things.

For those of you who have not heard yet, I have accepted a call to the youth ministry of St. Peters church here in Birmingham. It has been a long six month break from youth ministry and I am eager to get back to my heart’s call.

St. Peters is a small Anglican Church in the Mountain Brook community of Birmingham, Alabama. How did I find myself in an Anglican Church in one of the most affluent communities in Alabama? God is a funny God. I never thought that I would be in either, but I am beyond excited about working with the people off the community and the staff at the church. Both made it possible for me to consider leaving the PCA. I feel, overwhelmingly, that this is going to be a much better fit for me.

So all of this is to say that I will be posting many new ideas and adventures in my new church home.

I have gotten some comments recently from some old friends and realized how great it would be to see them. Envisioning that meeting, I began to realize that most of them would not be able to pick me out in a line up. My appearance has always been a kind of fluid thing and I enjoy changing with it as I age. So here is how I look now. If you see me in a line up, though, don’t pick me.