Three states in three days. Bring it, baby, bring it.
My day started early today (4am) after ending last night at 1am. I got up, grabbed my luggage, kissed my wife goodbye...
Steph--I miss you tons... you have no idea how much I would love to have you here...
... and went and had a quick breakfast at Waffle House. I was at the church by 530a, and met up with everyone, loaded into a van and got on a plane at 810am. It was a Delta small plane, 52 seats, and it flew a 1:52 nonstop flight to NYC's La Guardia airport. EVERYONE had luggage with handles on it that rolled, except guess who? My suitcase has wheels on it, but the strap is missing, so I have to pick it up.
And pick it up I did, onto a bus that took us through Harlem to our hotel. Interesting what you see as you ride... we saw Blockbusters, McD's, all sorts of hair places, a woman riding a horse down the sidewalk, you know, the usual.
We arrived at hour stop, but had to walk a couple of blocks to get to the West Side Inn... everyone pulled their stuff along, I carried mine. Rough mission work, I tell ya.
So, from what I understand, the West Side Inn doesnt look as good in person as it does on the 'net, so sayeth Josh & Staci. They didnt have all of our rooms ready yet, so they got us one. In a very tiny elevator, we pushed luggage into it, then ran 5 floors up to get it. We put it all in one room, then headed back out for lunch. There was this KFC/Pizza Hut combo joint that everyone wanted to go to, but Natalie, Geryl & I went down the block to a little place called Carne's. We had real burgers and real fries, and it rocked. We alos met Leslie, the bartnder, who told us she had just moved to Harlem after years in the Village. She was very sleepy, because gunfire in her neighborhood had kept her awake all night. Love it.
After lunch, we caught a subway ride to Grand Central Station... the place is majestic. In two trips here, I had never been there before... it was awesome. We even indulged in a little Ben & Jerry's to pass the time. We dozed on the train over to Stamford, CT, where we met up with Todd & Sharon, who are working to plant Encounter Church there in Stamford.
Facts:
--Stamford is home to several of the 1,000 biggest companies in the world, like Xerox, Clarol and Pitney Bowes, even though it is a community of only 120,000 people.
--55% of people here claim no religion whatsoever, while 94% of people say they dont attend a church service of ANY kind
--It is a mostly affluent kind of town, where a decent apartment runs you around 1200 per month or so. Todd said if you made $50K per year, you would struggle to survive.
We prayer walked with them around parts of Stamford, praying over the UBC headquarters, part of the UConn-Stamford college campus, one of the government buildings and more. We stopped and had lunch at Luckie's, which was alot like Johnny Rockets. We walked and prayed some more, then headed back to NYC, riding in the now-defuncy "bar car" of the train.
On the subway, we were treated to a semon of a Jamaican preacher, who was walking the car saying out the Truth of Jesus. It was fascinating to watch reactions of people, as some ignored him, so listened, one lady put her hands on her ears, and one drunk guy shouted "Shut up!" before stumbling off at the next stop. Rev. Jamaica kept bringing it, though.
We stopped at the drug store for some supplies, and then came back to get the rest of our rooms. Well, it turns out, there are only two bathrooms per floor. Apparently, the West Side Inn usually houses foreign soccer players, and the building is styled after European dorms. Also, some of the rooms dont have AC, which is sad, because I have dont nothing but sweat like a pig today, just walking.
So, Natalie, Staci and Paula are in one AC room, Josh, Josh, Mark & Brandon are in an AC room, while the Harringtons have a fan, Colby and Philip have a fan, and Larry Long and I have have a fan. This is good for me, though, because Steph's allergies cant take those fans... so I will have one blowing on me all night long!!!! Good times, good times.
God is already bending the man-made plans we have, and I'm eager to see what happens. Josh's internet connection isnt working right, either, so i'm using a "pay for surf" computer downstairs in the lobby... $5 for 50 minutes. So if the spelling is bad here, know that this computer is slow, the clock is running, and I cant copy and paste, so I've had to type today's events twice... once for posting on valleydale.org/nyc, and once for you fine people here.
Prayers?
--Todd & Sharon, for their continued commitment to the calling
--Leslie, for a beginning with Christ, and Rev. Jamaica, for his boldness to continue
--Continued team unity for us (this is the best team i could imagine being with)
--Safety
--High spirits when--not if --things dont go as planned
Love you guys... if you dont get a post tomorrow, its because i couldnt get to a computer!
(8)
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
NYC Entry #2: The Prayers
Got an email from Philip the other day, right after I wrote my last entry. Seems changes are already afoot... Morris High, the school we were schedule to be in, is actually finished due to the hard work of other mission teams. We'll be working now in PS 63, an elementary school. I'm guessing that won't be the only thing that will be different from our plans...
Several people have asked me what they should specifically be praying for... well, here is your list.
For the team itself...
--That God would fill us with hope and love and joy and peace and mercy and kindness and understanding and forgiveness and grace and power and strength and courage every day of the trip.
--That God would continue to keep out Satan from our team. Some of us are just getting to know each other, so pray that our friendships will grow and bond quickly.
--That God would take care of our families and loved ones, providing comfort and provisions while we are away
--That God would allow all of us to be totally flexible.
For Upward Basketball...
--Kids would come. And keep coming.
--Kids would be receptive to hearing the Truth in Him
The Bronx area...
--That God will grant us many opportunities to be bold in Him, telling the others about his love
--That God would do an unbelievable work around us while we are there in the neighborhoods
Stamford, CT...
--That God would begin to open the hearts and minds of the affluent communities, helping them see that riches without Him is worthless
Encounter Church...
--That God would plant this church in just the right way, time and place to bring the most Glory to His Name
Two full days before we get on a plane. I'm getting more and more excited as the hours tick by!
(7)
Several people have asked me what they should specifically be praying for... well, here is your list.
For the team itself...
--That God would fill us with hope and love and joy and peace and mercy and kindness and understanding and forgiveness and grace and power and strength and courage every day of the trip.
--That God would continue to keep out Satan from our team. Some of us are just getting to know each other, so pray that our friendships will grow and bond quickly.
--That God would take care of our families and loved ones, providing comfort and provisions while we are away
--That God would allow all of us to be totally flexible.
For Upward Basketball...
--Kids would come. And keep coming.
--Kids would be receptive to hearing the Truth in Him
The Bronx area...
--That God will grant us many opportunities to be bold in Him, telling the others about his love
--That God would do an unbelievable work around us while we are there in the neighborhoods
Stamford, CT...
--That God would begin to open the hearts and minds of the affluent communities, helping them see that riches without Him is worthless
Encounter Church...
--That God would plant this church in just the right way, time and place to bring the most Glory to His Name
Two full days before we get on a plane. I'm getting more and more excited as the hours tick by!
(7)
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
NYC Entry #1: The Cast
We're a few days away from lift-off. Sunday morning, the Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) Team of 16 heads to NYC to spend the week working Upward Basketball camps in the morning time, painting in Morris High School in the afternoons (more on that later) and doing some prayerwalking there, Manhattan and in Stamford, CT, right across the NYC border.
The plane leaves at 825a Sunday, and we are scheduled to arrive at La Guardia around 1130a, we eat lunch, catch a train, drop our stuff off at the hostile/hotel, then head to Stamford, CT. Landon Reesor is up there, planting a church called Encounter Church. Just know that Stamford is a very affluent community with lots of people who have lots of money and live in lots of houses and drive lots of big cars. Several of the worlds wealthy companies are based there, and can be a major place of influence when its won over for the Kingdom of God.
There will be lots to tell you over the next several days, so lets keep it brief as we can right now (riiiiight...)
First, let me introduce you to the cast of characters for this trip:
New Hope New York - An organization set in NY that sees NYC as a focal point of ministry, as in "you win NY, you have a launching pad for the world"
Paint-the-Town - An organization that works in schools to help paint and repaint them, especially in tough areas of town (The Bronx for us)
Upward Basketball - A program that the fundamentals of basketball to youth that might not otherwise be able to recieve such training, but more importantly, it stresses the virtue of teamwork, built in a foundation of Christ
Landon Reesor - He got the call to take his family to Stamford, which is what he's doing now. He's planting Encounter Church. Very likeable guy, obviously strong faith.
Philip Waters - Team leader of the trip. Tall, lanky guy. Strikes me as the kind of no-nonsense guy with a very dry sense of humor. He'll need to be with some of us.
Mark Warner - Deacon at church, 9 year old Star Wars fan trapped in a 36 (will be 37 on trip) year old body. Plays Gordo at KidStuff, a children's ministry at church. Married to Cindy... knowing Cindy, I tend to think that Mark got the good end of that deal =)
Paula Mackey - I consider her my team mom. Yes, Philip's the leader, but leader or not, if I come down with spinalmeningitis or something, I'm not hollerin' for Philip, I'm calling Paula to mother me. She's the same "I'll get it" lady from WalkAbout dinner theater (previous post).
Josh Blackburn - Son of Paula. Good kid. Acted in our dinner theater this past weekend, seems full of energy, should bring alot to the trip. Wears AC/DC flip flops.
Brandon Blackburn - Younger Son o'Paula. Seems like another good kid, though in my opinion, he seems to have a young Fred Weasley aura about him. Could be wrong.
Colby Barnett - I have no clue who this guy is, met him for the first time a few weeks ago, have only seen him like, twice. Seems nice enough.
Josh Caldwell - Recreation pastor at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship). Leader of Upward Basketball, and co-leader of the trip with Philip. Very likeable easy going guy... big dude, gruff voice, hubby to Staci.
Staci Caldwell - Very small wife to Josh. She's the co-host of KidStuff, and a ball of weird energy. Likes slicky pants. And puppies.
Natalie Valentine - Single mom to Ariana. She probably thinks its weird, but I'm excited about Natalie coming on the trip, really because I look forward to getting to hang out with her. I like cool people, and Nat's just a cool chick.
Chuck McCammon - Childrens pastor at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship). Married to Tamara, the KidStuf leader. Chuck's a real likeable guy, laid back and seemingly fun to be around.
Daniel McCammon - Young son to the aforementioned Chuck. At 4 (?) I'm guessing this might be his first mission trip, unless they have a newborns journeyman program I dont know about.
Larry Long - Pops to Megan & Anna Long, twins who were on WalkAbout last year (Theta class, I think). Good guy.
Tim, Geryl & AnnaLynn Harrington - Coming on the trip as a family, which I think is just great. I hope that Stephanie and I can take the twins, Lorelei and Daisy, on a family mission trip together one day. I dont know the Harringtons, but they seem like good folk, so I'll go with that.
The Lovely Steph Leann- My lovely wife who isnt coming on the trip... but I don't want to pass up a chance to tell her how much I love her, how much I'll miss here while I'm gone, and to say thanks for supporting me on this venture.
There you have it... those are the involved folk. Now you know the names... check back soon for the adventures.
Oh, PS...
Here's some stuff about Morris High School
Grade levels 9 - 12
Enrollment around 250
Ethnicity is 60% Hispanic, 39% black, 1% white and 1% Asian
They offer free lunch to 81.2% of their students
Overcrowding stands at 115.9%
Only 8.9% of 9th graders read at grade level
Their graduation rate is 3.09%
Apparently from what I'm reading, this school is being phased out, but a number of smaller schools are being set up in the building.
I'm pretty excited about getting into this school... you can click here to see what it looks like...
(6)
The plane leaves at 825a Sunday, and we are scheduled to arrive at La Guardia around 1130a, we eat lunch, catch a train, drop our stuff off at the hostile/hotel, then head to Stamford, CT. Landon Reesor is up there, planting a church called Encounter Church. Just know that Stamford is a very affluent community with lots of people who have lots of money and live in lots of houses and drive lots of big cars. Several of the worlds wealthy companies are based there, and can be a major place of influence when its won over for the Kingdom of God.
There will be lots to tell you over the next several days, so lets keep it brief as we can right now (riiiiight...)
First, let me introduce you to the cast of characters for this trip:
New Hope New York - An organization set in NY that sees NYC as a focal point of ministry, as in "you win NY, you have a launching pad for the world"
Paint-the-Town - An organization that works in schools to help paint and repaint them, especially in tough areas of town (The Bronx for us)
Upward Basketball - A program that the fundamentals of basketball to youth that might not otherwise be able to recieve such training, but more importantly, it stresses the virtue of teamwork, built in a foundation of Christ
Landon Reesor - He got the call to take his family to Stamford, which is what he's doing now. He's planting Encounter Church. Very likeable guy, obviously strong faith.
Philip Waters - Team leader of the trip. Tall, lanky guy. Strikes me as the kind of no-nonsense guy with a very dry sense of humor. He'll need to be with some of us.
Mark Warner - Deacon at church, 9 year old Star Wars fan trapped in a 36 (will be 37 on trip) year old body. Plays Gordo at KidStuff, a children's ministry at church. Married to Cindy... knowing Cindy, I tend to think that Mark got the good end of that deal =)
Paula Mackey - I consider her my team mom. Yes, Philip's the leader, but leader or not, if I come down with spinalmeningitis or something, I'm not hollerin' for Philip, I'm calling Paula to mother me. She's the same "I'll get it" lady from WalkAbout dinner theater (previous post).
Josh Blackburn - Son of Paula. Good kid. Acted in our dinner theater this past weekend, seems full of energy, should bring alot to the trip. Wears AC/DC flip flops.
Brandon Blackburn - Younger Son o'Paula. Seems like another good kid, though in my opinion, he seems to have a young Fred Weasley aura about him. Could be wrong.
Colby Barnett - I have no clue who this guy is, met him for the first time a few weeks ago, have only seen him like, twice. Seems nice enough.
Josh Caldwell - Recreation pastor at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship). Leader of Upward Basketball, and co-leader of the trip with Philip. Very likeable easy going guy... big dude, gruff voice, hubby to Staci.
Staci Caldwell - Very small wife to Josh. She's the co-host of KidStuff, and a ball of weird energy. Likes slicky pants. And puppies.
Natalie Valentine - Single mom to Ariana. She probably thinks its weird, but I'm excited about Natalie coming on the trip, really because I look forward to getting to hang out with her. I like cool people, and Nat's just a cool chick.
Chuck McCammon - Childrens pastor at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship). Married to Tamara, the KidStuf leader. Chuck's a real likeable guy, laid back and seemingly fun to be around.
Daniel McCammon - Young son to the aforementioned Chuck. At 4 (?) I'm guessing this might be his first mission trip, unless they have a newborns journeyman program I dont know about.
Larry Long - Pops to Megan & Anna Long, twins who were on WalkAbout last year (Theta class, I think). Good guy.
Tim, Geryl & AnnaLynn Harrington - Coming on the trip as a family, which I think is just great. I hope that Stephanie and I can take the twins, Lorelei and Daisy, on a family mission trip together one day. I dont know the Harringtons, but they seem like good folk, so I'll go with that.
The Lovely Steph Leann- My lovely wife who isnt coming on the trip... but I don't want to pass up a chance to tell her how much I love her, how much I'll miss here while I'm gone, and to say thanks for supporting me on this venture.
There you have it... those are the involved folk. Now you know the names... check back soon for the adventures.
Oh, PS...
Here's some stuff about Morris High School
Grade levels 9 - 12
Enrollment around 250
Ethnicity is 60% Hispanic, 39% black, 1% white and 1% Asian
They offer free lunch to 81.2% of their students
Overcrowding stands at 115.9%
Only 8.9% of 9th graders read at grade level
Their graduation rate is 3.09%
Apparently from what I'm reading, this school is being phased out, but a number of smaller schools are being set up in the building.
I'm pretty excited about getting into this school... you can click here to see what it looks like...
(6)
Monday, July 25, 2005
The WalkAbout Finale... Part I
You know, sometimes things happen, and when its done, you sit back and wonder "how in the world did this happen?"
For instance... how did I end up with someone so wonderful and beautiful as Stephanie? It is a puzzlement. And, why does traffic on 65 sometimes seem to come to a standstill for no reason at all? There's no accident to be found. Furthermore, how does Paris Hilton even have a career? I mean, Jesus loves her, I'm sure of it, but it ain't for her talent.
And then I ask... how in world did this weekend come off as successful as it did?
This past weekend was WalkAbout's annual dinner theater. WalkAbout is the name of the middle school drama ministry at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), and I've been leading the team for about 6 years (well... four... I took about 1.5 years off ages ago). Each year, we've managed to do a dinner theater in the summertime, each bigger than the last. Costumes, lights, mics, props, the whole works.
Well, this season, I came back after a year layoff. I had 10 kids to work with for this DT, and a bunch of sketches that I knew we could handle. And, after dropping a couple that I realized we coudln't handle, we were set. Only problem was, practices. We started in April, but through May and June, we had this one on vacation, we had those two out of the country on missions, we had those three away at Memaw's house for dinner, that one at the beach and then all of them away at summer camp.
A few years ago, the same problem occurred... we had trouble leading up to the show, a disasterous dress rehearsal (DR being the ONLY time we can practice with lights, mics and costumes before the actual shows) and a director--me--with no sense of hope. Yet, God taught me grace and mercy that night, via a Jones Soda bottle (i'll retell it here on this site one day) and so this year, I was ready.
I had been emailing Paula, mother of one of our guys, for weeks with random requests for this, that and the other--and she pretty much came through each time. I think I could have asked for a live African elephant, and she would have responded later "okay, I've got the fireman's hat, the cart and the clipboard, and we're working on the elephant. I think Dana Guthrie is bringing it Friday" Remarkable woman (she's going to NYC too!)
Thursday, I met our lights & sounds guys--Trey & Justin for the first time. I walked them through the paces, and aside from having one girl a little freaked out--which I managed to calm down--it went remarkably well.
Let me explain why this startled me... I've had three dress rehearsals prior to this one, and none were good. The first was a mess, the second had our lights and sound guy, Daniel, not arrive until 815p (giving us one hour to practice) and the third ended after 1 hour because the power went out and a monsoon came down. So when the DR went right tonight... um... uh... oh boy.
Friday came, and I had the day off work, partially because I had a Dr's appt--my first real physical in 15 years or so... I walked having had blood taken, and being immunized with Tetnus and TB shots. Not good times, bad times.
Friday afternoon, I had a good lunch with Tebe "Aaayy Maaan! Aww Yeah" Shaw, then read Harry Potter (I was still on Order of the Phoenix at this time) then went to church, where things were still coming together nicely. Paula, Karen Cheney and several other Moms were assembling the room, and all the kids were arriving. Skip to an hour or two later, we prayed and I took my place behind the control board.
Justin turned the stagelights up, and Paige Cheney entered. And we were off. By mid-way through the first sketch, "Baby Got Book", the audience was rolling. Dinner was great (I didnt even know what we had until about 6p that night--not that I ate any of it), the skits were great, and by intermission, the kids were pumped up. I played Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" during intermission, the Pastor loved the show, and the finale, Van Halen's "Right Now" went off without a hitch. Not a perfect show, but darn near close to it.
I went home, read Harry Potter until 4am, passed out on the couch and slept until 10am, not even noticing when my lovely wife ran out of the house in a panic late for her 10am meeting.
Saturday night's performance had a few glitches, one of which was frightening... it seems that our spotlight, which was essential for one of the skits, blew. Trey managed to fix it, so we went on. This night, we had a few microphone snitches, some lighting issues, and during a scene when Josh was supposed to boogie to a few seconds of "Its Not Unusual" by Tom Jones, the almost brand new cd somehow skipped over to "Whats New Pussycat". Josh kept dancing.
"Mutiny in the Vineyard", which I think I can safely say Friday's was one of the Top Ten Best WalkAbout performances in the teams history, was brought down Saturday by mic problems... plus the crowd didnt laugh as much overall. Little Erin said it best: "...maybe all those people who came back thought our jokes were old now."
And towards the very end, in what I think is God's provision, the spotlight that we didnt need anymore (because we finished our last skit using it) blew again. So all in all... not too bad. I'm glad its over, though.
This was my final WalkAbout directorial job, I think... its bittersweet, because everything about this team--its name, its verse, its 'bare feet' purpose--came from a time long ago, back before I barely knew Steph, back when Matt Grimes (middle school pastor) was early in collge, back when Eddy McBroom ruled the middle school with a buffet fist. I was there at the beginning, with Andrea Brobst, Meredith Osborne, Katie Noland and Lauren Long... four of the Alpha class at the beginning of 1999.
The Beta class came in for the 99-00 season, bringing with it Lori Fine, Jana Blackwell, Scott Latta and Lora Haghighi, to name a few... then for 00-01, the Gammas, with Kourtney & Kandice Kelley. The Delta class in 01-02 brought in Garrett Cheney, Betsy Clark, Marcus Clement, Caroline Blackburn, Mamie Clark, Tama Davis... perhaps the strongest line up since the Betas. I was done then, and from 02-03, Dana took over. WalkAbout died in the fall of 2003, and remained dead in 2004... until the summer of 04, when the Zetas came back--Kayla, Will, Bradley, Amanda...
...and finally, the Eta Class, from 2004-05... Joey, Paige, Tyler, Jessica, the other Jessica, Michele, Erin, Molly, Austin, Josh, Morgan and Elizabeth Ann.
Now, since I'm moving on to high school theatrics at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) I hope that someone will come soon and continue WalkAbout, as its something that needs to go on. Its an awesome way to help kids find their ministry in drama... or realize its not there. I'll conclude with more WalkAbout thoughts, plus my opinions on the ten greatest WalkAbout performances, ever, in The WalkAbout Finale, Part 2
(5)
For instance... how did I end up with someone so wonderful and beautiful as Stephanie? It is a puzzlement. And, why does traffic on 65 sometimes seem to come to a standstill for no reason at all? There's no accident to be found. Furthermore, how does Paris Hilton even have a career? I mean, Jesus loves her, I'm sure of it, but it ain't for her talent.
And then I ask... how in world did this weekend come off as successful as it did?
This past weekend was WalkAbout's annual dinner theater. WalkAbout is the name of the middle school drama ministry at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), and I've been leading the team for about 6 years (well... four... I took about 1.5 years off ages ago). Each year, we've managed to do a dinner theater in the summertime, each bigger than the last. Costumes, lights, mics, props, the whole works.
Well, this season, I came back after a year layoff. I had 10 kids to work with for this DT, and a bunch of sketches that I knew we could handle. And, after dropping a couple that I realized we coudln't handle, we were set. Only problem was, practices. We started in April, but through May and June, we had this one on vacation, we had those two out of the country on missions, we had those three away at Memaw's house for dinner, that one at the beach and then all of them away at summer camp.
A few years ago, the same problem occurred... we had trouble leading up to the show, a disasterous dress rehearsal (DR being the ONLY time we can practice with lights, mics and costumes before the actual shows) and a director--me--with no sense of hope. Yet, God taught me grace and mercy that night, via a Jones Soda bottle (i'll retell it here on this site one day) and so this year, I was ready.
I had been emailing Paula, mother of one of our guys, for weeks with random requests for this, that and the other--and she pretty much came through each time. I think I could have asked for a live African elephant, and she would have responded later "okay, I've got the fireman's hat, the cart and the clipboard, and we're working on the elephant. I think Dana Guthrie is bringing it Friday" Remarkable woman (she's going to NYC too!)
Thursday, I met our lights & sounds guys--Trey & Justin for the first time. I walked them through the paces, and aside from having one girl a little freaked out--which I managed to calm down--it went remarkably well.
Let me explain why this startled me... I've had three dress rehearsals prior to this one, and none were good. The first was a mess, the second had our lights and sound guy, Daniel, not arrive until 815p (giving us one hour to practice) and the third ended after 1 hour because the power went out and a monsoon came down. So when the DR went right tonight... um... uh... oh boy.
Friday came, and I had the day off work, partially because I had a Dr's appt--my first real physical in 15 years or so... I walked having had blood taken, and being immunized with Tetnus and TB shots. Not good times, bad times.
Friday afternoon, I had a good lunch with Tebe "Aaayy Maaan! Aww Yeah" Shaw, then read Harry Potter (I was still on Order of the Phoenix at this time) then went to church, where things were still coming together nicely. Paula, Karen Cheney and several other Moms were assembling the room, and all the kids were arriving. Skip to an hour or two later, we prayed and I took my place behind the control board.
Justin turned the stagelights up, and Paige Cheney entered. And we were off. By mid-way through the first sketch, "Baby Got Book", the audience was rolling. Dinner was great (I didnt even know what we had until about 6p that night--not that I ate any of it), the skits were great, and by intermission, the kids were pumped up. I played Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" during intermission, the Pastor loved the show, and the finale, Van Halen's "Right Now" went off without a hitch. Not a perfect show, but darn near close to it.
I went home, read Harry Potter until 4am, passed out on the couch and slept until 10am, not even noticing when my lovely wife ran out of the house in a panic late for her 10am meeting.
Saturday night's performance had a few glitches, one of which was frightening... it seems that our spotlight, which was essential for one of the skits, blew. Trey managed to fix it, so we went on. This night, we had a few microphone snitches, some lighting issues, and during a scene when Josh was supposed to boogie to a few seconds of "Its Not Unusual" by Tom Jones, the almost brand new cd somehow skipped over to "Whats New Pussycat". Josh kept dancing.
"Mutiny in the Vineyard", which I think I can safely say Friday's was one of the Top Ten Best WalkAbout performances in the teams history, was brought down Saturday by mic problems... plus the crowd didnt laugh as much overall. Little Erin said it best: "...maybe all those people who came back thought our jokes were old now."
And towards the very end, in what I think is God's provision, the spotlight that we didnt need anymore (because we finished our last skit using it) blew again. So all in all... not too bad. I'm glad its over, though.
This was my final WalkAbout directorial job, I think... its bittersweet, because everything about this team--its name, its verse, its 'bare feet' purpose--came from a time long ago, back before I barely knew Steph, back when Matt Grimes (middle school pastor) was early in collge, back when Eddy McBroom ruled the middle school with a buffet fist. I was there at the beginning, with Andrea Brobst, Meredith Osborne, Katie Noland and Lauren Long... four of the Alpha class at the beginning of 1999.
The Beta class came in for the 99-00 season, bringing with it Lori Fine, Jana Blackwell, Scott Latta and Lora Haghighi, to name a few... then for 00-01, the Gammas, with Kourtney & Kandice Kelley. The Delta class in 01-02 brought in Garrett Cheney, Betsy Clark, Marcus Clement, Caroline Blackburn, Mamie Clark, Tama Davis... perhaps the strongest line up since the Betas. I was done then, and from 02-03, Dana took over. WalkAbout died in the fall of 2003, and remained dead in 2004... until the summer of 04, when the Zetas came back--Kayla, Will, Bradley, Amanda...
...and finally, the Eta Class, from 2004-05... Joey, Paige, Tyler, Jessica, the other Jessica, Michele, Erin, Molly, Austin, Josh, Morgan and Elizabeth Ann.
Now, since I'm moving on to high school theatrics at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) I hope that someone will come soon and continue WalkAbout, as its something that needs to go on. Its an awesome way to help kids find their ministry in drama... or realize its not there. I'll conclude with more WalkAbout thoughts, plus my opinions on the ten greatest WalkAbout performances, ever, in The WalkAbout Finale, Part 2
(5)
Sunday, July 24, 2005
The Inevitable Let Down
WARNING... THERE ARE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE SPOILERS BELOW... I WILL TELL YOU WHEN TO STOP READING!!!
I've been re-reading Harry Potter... with a vengeance. I started several weeks ago, picking up a hard-cover copy of Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (I had the paperback to both that and Chamber of Secrets, but they were never returned from The Lair of the Wookiee) and began to read it. My thought was to re-read all five, leading up to the release of the new book, The Half-Blood Prince.
So, with working two jobs, church, drama and loving my wife, I managed to pace through the books... I shot through Sorcerer's Stone's 300 or so pages in a matter of about two days... I immediately bought the next one, The Chamber of Secrets, and then proceeded through it so quickly that I went ahead and picked up Prisoner of Azkaban when I was only 1/2 done with Chamber...
It was also in re-reading Chamber that I finally grasped my favorite character, Ginny Weasley--more on her later.
Quickly, I finished Azkaban, already having bought Goblet of Fire... the 700+ page behemoth, the first in the now-trio of "Fat" books that Rowling has written.
As I started reading through Goblet of Fire, I began to prepare myself for a truth... I was past the halfway point in the series. Last Saturday, as you may have been able to read on a previous blog, I bought the newest book, The Half-Blood Prince, but still continued on to Goblet of Fire... I stayed up until 4am reading it, finishing it later that night.
I picked up my then-favorite of the books (i'm currently re-evaluating what my favorite is...) Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix, and I began to brace myself. I'd immersed myself in Hogwarts lore for three weeks now, laughing at Ron and Hermoine, feeling the bitterness with Harry when Snape's being a jerk, enjoying the new cast of characters I began to discover along the way--Tonks, Moody, Kingsley--and I new that as soon as I finished Order, then the new book... there would be no more.
This is how I felt several years ago, when I picked them up the first time. I shot through the first three, took a little time in Goblet of Fire, and then sat down and began to read my new copy of Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (which my then-girlfriend Stephanie bought for me the night it came out). I dashed through it in a weekend, and then felt a sense of loneliness, cause darn it, I had to wait to see what happened....
And now, after finishing Order last night, then beginning Half-Blood Prince (reading again until 4am) and then reading it all day today... I finished it a few minutes ago. And even though I braced myself, I feel like I've just been pushed off of a cliff.
SPOILERS BELOW... STOP READING IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE BOOK'S SURPRISES AS SURPRISES
I have a habit of flipping through books when I buy them... so I knew a few things going in...
Dumbledore buys it. Snape kills him. Something called Horcruxes play an important part. Malfoy goes from being a Class A jerk to a #1 SOB. And, most importantly to me, Ginny Weasley and Harry hook up.
Let me just explain... from the outset, Ginny has been taken with Harry, even as she sees him as an 10 year old girl in the first book, when Harry himself is only 11. She can't even talk when he comes in a room. She plays a major role in Chamber of Secrets, still taken with Harry, and darn it, I just find her so lovable... were I a student at Hogwarts, I'd totally want to hang out with her. For the longest time, Hermoine was my girl... but after re-reading all of them, I gotta say, I favor Ginny. Don't know why.
Anyway, as I read, I waiting for these parts to come, finding out what leads up to them, learning not only that Dumbly dies, but why he dies, finding out not only does Snape do the dirty deed, but how he does it...
And now, I'm done. I have to wait another two, maybe three years for the conclusion. I'm a little perturbed that Harry seems to have left Ginny (for the same noble reasons Peter Parker leaves Mary Jane at the end of Spiderman I--so though I understand it, it still leaves me bitter), because they should be together. Because I said so.
Geez... Im a nerd.
And man I'm tired.
(4)
I've been re-reading Harry Potter... with a vengeance. I started several weeks ago, picking up a hard-cover copy of Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (I had the paperback to both that and Chamber of Secrets, but they were never returned from The Lair of the Wookiee) and began to read it. My thought was to re-read all five, leading up to the release of the new book, The Half-Blood Prince.
So, with working two jobs, church, drama and loving my wife, I managed to pace through the books... I shot through Sorcerer's Stone's 300 or so pages in a matter of about two days... I immediately bought the next one, The Chamber of Secrets, and then proceeded through it so quickly that I went ahead and picked up Prisoner of Azkaban when I was only 1/2 done with Chamber...
It was also in re-reading Chamber that I finally grasped my favorite character, Ginny Weasley--more on her later.
Quickly, I finished Azkaban, already having bought Goblet of Fire... the 700+ page behemoth, the first in the now-trio of "Fat" books that Rowling has written.
As I started reading through Goblet of Fire, I began to prepare myself for a truth... I was past the halfway point in the series. Last Saturday, as you may have been able to read on a previous blog, I bought the newest book, The Half-Blood Prince, but still continued on to Goblet of Fire... I stayed up until 4am reading it, finishing it later that night.
I picked up my then-favorite of the books (i'm currently re-evaluating what my favorite is...) Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix, and I began to brace myself. I'd immersed myself in Hogwarts lore for three weeks now, laughing at Ron and Hermoine, feeling the bitterness with Harry when Snape's being a jerk, enjoying the new cast of characters I began to discover along the way--Tonks, Moody, Kingsley--and I new that as soon as I finished Order, then the new book... there would be no more.
This is how I felt several years ago, when I picked them up the first time. I shot through the first three, took a little time in Goblet of Fire, and then sat down and began to read my new copy of Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (which my then-girlfriend Stephanie bought for me the night it came out). I dashed through it in a weekend, and then felt a sense of loneliness, cause darn it, I had to wait to see what happened....
And now, after finishing Order last night, then beginning Half-Blood Prince (reading again until 4am) and then reading it all day today... I finished it a few minutes ago. And even though I braced myself, I feel like I've just been pushed off of a cliff.
SPOILERS BELOW... STOP READING IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE BOOK'S SURPRISES AS SURPRISES
I have a habit of flipping through books when I buy them... so I knew a few things going in...
Dumbledore buys it. Snape kills him. Something called Horcruxes play an important part. Malfoy goes from being a Class A jerk to a #1 SOB. And, most importantly to me, Ginny Weasley and Harry hook up.
Let me just explain... from the outset, Ginny has been taken with Harry, even as she sees him as an 10 year old girl in the first book, when Harry himself is only 11. She can't even talk when he comes in a room. She plays a major role in Chamber of Secrets, still taken with Harry, and darn it, I just find her so lovable... were I a student at Hogwarts, I'd totally want to hang out with her. For the longest time, Hermoine was my girl... but after re-reading all of them, I gotta say, I favor Ginny. Don't know why.
Anyway, as I read, I waiting for these parts to come, finding out what leads up to them, learning not only that Dumbly dies, but why he dies, finding out not only does Snape do the dirty deed, but how he does it...
And now, I'm done. I have to wait another two, maybe three years for the conclusion. I'm a little perturbed that Harry seems to have left Ginny (for the same noble reasons Peter Parker leaves Mary Jane at the end of Spiderman I--so though I understand it, it still leaves me bitter), because they should be together. Because I said so.
Geez... Im a nerd.
And man I'm tired.
(4)
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Harry Potter & the Hammer of MC
So, this week has been a blur.
I'm currently listening to live365.com's online 90s station, which is fabuloso, and hearing the great sounds of MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This".
Today was Habitat for Humanity for our Sunday School class... my wife left last night to go to Crestview, Florida, for a baby shower for one of her old-school best friends and there are three reasons I didnt go...
1) I had a drama project I HAD to get done this weekend
2) I hated to miss Habitat
3) Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince
Now, truthbetold, I would have foregone #2 & #3, but #1 was unavoidable--so whilest I was doing #1, 2 & 3 were byproducts of the weekend...
(Timmy T's "Ill B Ur Everything"... how hard is it to write the words "be" and "your", and put an apostrophe in "Ill"?)
Last night I went to Barnes & Noble to get a "wristband" so I could pick up my Harry Potter book at 12:01am. I'm a nerd. Anyway, they had two bands--yellow for those who had ordered ahead of time, and orange for those who hadn't... I got a yellow, with the number 79 on it. They would give out books for those numbers first, then those in the orange bands could get their books.
Its really quite silly, to be honest--I'm re-reading the other Harry Potter books as is, and I'm only half through Goblet of Fire, so I really won't even get to the new one until at least next week, so I could have bought it anytime... but I had to be there. However, that didnt stop me from flipping through it to which I discovered three things that made me "holy crap!"... 1) a major, major, MAJOR death--I sort of expected a death, but only slightly suspected this one, and was shocked at how it happened... 2) who the half-blood prince is--shocking... and 3) Harry gets a girlfriend! And I'm so pleased. I flipped out when I read Order of the Phoenix to discover Harry's first kiss (with Cho Chang, natch) but his woman this time is not Cho.
I love the Travelocity Roaming Gnome... "my creedo is, less for the room, more for that mini-bah"
So after I got my book (79th in line, got it around 12:20 or so) I headed to IHOP to have some late breakfast... got home around 115 am, and then like an igmo, stayed up until 415am reading Goblet of Fire.
(Keith Sweat's "I'll Give All My Love"... he's the early 90s R. Kelly, only without all the underage minor stuff)
Today was Habitat for Humanity, which I mentioned. Our Sunday School class is a "newly/nearly married" class, which Steph and I both love, and Tiffiany Shaw set up a one-day service project for us... included in this event were Tebe & Tiffiany, James & Jessica, Willis & Meredith and myself (remember, Steph is still in Crestview). Anyway, we moved mud, painted a concrete wall and made an ill-fated attempt at pouring concrete.
So following the Habitat project, smelling like something extraordinarily foul, I came to my in-laws place to use their cd burner to get a powerpoint presentation for dinner theater next week. And I forgot the music that goes to it... so whilest I didth the presentation, I'll have to burn it later.
I did take a shower, but I didnt have any shampoo, I had to use some freaky Spiderman foam soap, and though I brought new shorts and a shirt, I have on the same boxers. Very foul. I feel foul.
("Been Around the World" by Puff Daddy & the Family, feat. the Notorious BIG and Mase. Its never "with so & so", its always "feat." Strange.)
So my decision at this very moment, sitting in front of the Campbell's computer at their bungalow in Greystone is... do I go home, await the late return of my lovely wife, all the while read Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, in anticipation of reading Order of the Phoenix, which pumps me up for Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince.
Or, do I go home, re-shower complete with shampoo and new boxer shorts (and also new socks--my shoes & socks are gross, and I have to drive barefoot) and head over to Tebe & Tiff's house for an impromptu night of games and such?
("Pony" by Genuwine. No, not Genuine... its Genuwine. Don't even get me started)
And in other news, I have all the money needed for NEW YORK CITY!!!
And that's a wrap for today.
(3)
I'm currently listening to live365.com's online 90s station, which is fabuloso, and hearing the great sounds of MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This".
Today was Habitat for Humanity for our Sunday School class... my wife left last night to go to Crestview, Florida, for a baby shower for one of her old-school best friends and there are three reasons I didnt go...
1) I had a drama project I HAD to get done this weekend
2) I hated to miss Habitat
3) Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince
Now, truthbetold, I would have foregone #2 & #3, but #1 was unavoidable--so whilest I was doing #1, 2 & 3 were byproducts of the weekend...
(Timmy T's "Ill B Ur Everything"... how hard is it to write the words "be" and "your", and put an apostrophe in "Ill"?)
Last night I went to Barnes & Noble to get a "wristband" so I could pick up my Harry Potter book at 12:01am. I'm a nerd. Anyway, they had two bands--yellow for those who had ordered ahead of time, and orange for those who hadn't... I got a yellow, with the number 79 on it. They would give out books for those numbers first, then those in the orange bands could get their books.
Its really quite silly, to be honest--I'm re-reading the other Harry Potter books as is, and I'm only half through Goblet of Fire, so I really won't even get to the new one until at least next week, so I could have bought it anytime... but I had to be there. However, that didnt stop me from flipping through it to which I discovered three things that made me "holy crap!"... 1) a major, major, MAJOR death--I sort of expected a death, but only slightly suspected this one, and was shocked at how it happened... 2) who the half-blood prince is--shocking... and 3) Harry gets a girlfriend! And I'm so pleased. I flipped out when I read Order of the Phoenix to discover Harry's first kiss (with Cho Chang, natch) but his woman this time is not Cho.
I love the Travelocity Roaming Gnome... "my creedo is, less for the room, more for that mini-bah"
So after I got my book (79th in line, got it around 12:20 or so) I headed to IHOP to have some late breakfast... got home around 115 am, and then like an igmo, stayed up until 415am reading Goblet of Fire.
(Keith Sweat's "I'll Give All My Love"... he's the early 90s R. Kelly, only without all the underage minor stuff)
Today was Habitat for Humanity, which I mentioned. Our Sunday School class is a "newly/nearly married" class, which Steph and I both love, and Tiffiany Shaw set up a one-day service project for us... included in this event were Tebe & Tiffiany, James & Jessica, Willis & Meredith and myself (remember, Steph is still in Crestview). Anyway, we moved mud, painted a concrete wall and made an ill-fated attempt at pouring concrete.
So following the Habitat project, smelling like something extraordinarily foul, I came to my in-laws place to use their cd burner to get a powerpoint presentation for dinner theater next week. And I forgot the music that goes to it... so whilest I didth the presentation, I'll have to burn it later.
I did take a shower, but I didnt have any shampoo, I had to use some freaky Spiderman foam soap, and though I brought new shorts and a shirt, I have on the same boxers. Very foul. I feel foul.
("Been Around the World" by Puff Daddy & the Family, feat. the Notorious BIG and Mase. Its never "with so & so", its always "feat." Strange.)
So my decision at this very moment, sitting in front of the Campbell's computer at their bungalow in Greystone is... do I go home, await the late return of my lovely wife, all the while read Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, in anticipation of reading Order of the Phoenix, which pumps me up for Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince.
Or, do I go home, re-shower complete with shampoo and new boxer shorts (and also new socks--my shoes & socks are gross, and I have to drive barefoot) and head over to Tebe & Tiff's house for an impromptu night of games and such?
("Pony" by Genuwine. No, not Genuine... its Genuwine. Don't even get me started)
And in other news, I have all the money needed for NEW YORK CITY!!!
And that's a wrap for today.
(3)
Friday, July 08, 2005
Dave's Rambling: Kelly Clarkson
Here I am, once again... I'm torn into pieces... Can't deny it, can't pretend... Just thought you were the one... Broken up, deep inside... But you won't get to see the tears I cry... Behind these hazel eyes
Can I just say that somehow I' m a big Kelly Clarkson fan? I dont really know why... you'd think out of all the idols, I'd be a Ruben or Bo fan, since they were hometown boys, or I'd be supporters of Kimberly Caldwell, Carrie Underwood or Julia Damato, all whom I was Idol Hot for at one point or another... but no... I'm a Kelly Fan.
Miss Independent got me from the first few beats... I can still walk around Starbucks and sing that song happily. I am not, however, a fan of Breakaway or A Moment Like This--which leads me to say that every Idol song they force the winner to put out, such as A Moment Like This or this year's Inside Your Heaven (which Carrie was forced to endure) really suck. Bigtime.
Where was I?
Yes, Kelly.
The last one single she had... what was the name of it... crap, I will think of it... nothing is going through my head right now besides "...here I am, once again, i'm torn into pieces..."
Though I can happily say that I figured out who sings the "it's alright..." song. When I would see promos for the very underrated Tom Hanks movie The Terminal, I'd heard a male voice sing "well, its alllllll right..." and then say a line I couldnt remember. Anyway, I finally looked it up... its the Traveling Wilburys song "The End of the Line". Who were the Wilburys? It was a group from the early 1990s comprised of ELO leader Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & Roy Orbison.
By the way... did I say how much of a Kelly Clarkson fan I am?
(2)
Can I just say that somehow I' m a big Kelly Clarkson fan? I dont really know why... you'd think out of all the idols, I'd be a Ruben or Bo fan, since they were hometown boys, or I'd be supporters of Kimberly Caldwell, Carrie Underwood or Julia Damato, all whom I was Idol Hot for at one point or another... but no... I'm a Kelly Fan.
Miss Independent got me from the first few beats... I can still walk around Starbucks and sing that song happily. I am not, however, a fan of Breakaway or A Moment Like This--which leads me to say that every Idol song they force the winner to put out, such as A Moment Like This or this year's Inside Your Heaven (which Carrie was forced to endure) really suck. Bigtime.
Where was I?
Yes, Kelly.
The last one single she had... what was the name of it... crap, I will think of it... nothing is going through my head right now besides "...here I am, once again, i'm torn into pieces..."
Though I can happily say that I figured out who sings the "it's alright..." song. When I would see promos for the very underrated Tom Hanks movie The Terminal, I'd heard a male voice sing "well, its alllllll right..." and then say a line I couldnt remember. Anyway, I finally looked it up... its the Traveling Wilburys song "The End of the Line". Who were the Wilburys? It was a group from the early 1990s comprised of ELO leader Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & Roy Orbison.
By the way... did I say how much of a Kelly Clarkson fan I am?
(2)
Monday, July 04, 2005
Less than 30 days....
Well... its coming.
On July 31st, we'll fly out to NYC for what will be my third mission trip to that city. The excitement is building inside of me, as more often than not, I think ahead to that trip. There are a total of 16 (maybe 17?) going on this trip, and I've not formally even met them all just yet.
I do know a few--Mark Warner, a buddy of mine from KidStuf (our children's ministry at Valleydale Church, an sbc fellowship); Natalie Valentine, also involved in Kidstuff; Lori Land, instrumentalist extraordinaire at the aformentioned Valleydale; Paula Mackey and her two kids, Brandon and Josh--Josh is involved in WalkAbout, the middle school drama team; Josh & Staci Caldwell, husband and wife duo at church, Josh being the recreation minister, Staci involved with the kids... as for the rest of the crew, I've only met them because of this trip. That includes team leader Philip Waters, a family called the Harringtons and someone named Colby. Larry Long has also joined last minute, as he's the father of former WalkAbout students Megan & Anna Long.
Either way, its the 4th of July today, and I've started this blog right here, right now. I'll be adding to it more and more leading up to the trip, and who knows, I might just keep it going afterwards...
(1)
On July 31st, we'll fly out to NYC for what will be my third mission trip to that city. The excitement is building inside of me, as more often than not, I think ahead to that trip. There are a total of 16 (maybe 17?) going on this trip, and I've not formally even met them all just yet.
I do know a few--Mark Warner, a buddy of mine from KidStuf (our children's ministry at Valleydale Church, an sbc fellowship); Natalie Valentine, also involved in Kidstuff; Lori Land, instrumentalist extraordinaire at the aformentioned Valleydale; Paula Mackey and her two kids, Brandon and Josh--Josh is involved in WalkAbout, the middle school drama team; Josh & Staci Caldwell, husband and wife duo at church, Josh being the recreation minister, Staci involved with the kids... as for the rest of the crew, I've only met them because of this trip. That includes team leader Philip Waters, a family called the Harringtons and someone named Colby. Larry Long has also joined last minute, as he's the father of former WalkAbout students Megan & Anna Long.
Either way, its the 4th of July today, and I've started this blog right here, right now. I'll be adding to it more and more leading up to the trip, and who knows, I might just keep it going afterwards...
(1)
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