American Idol shocker

Each week on American Idol, just when you think one of the contestants has dug themselves into a very deep hole, they get spared. Case in point, last night, Scott & Anthony were both horrid while Constantaine was merely ok, not great, but not horrible either. What happens? The worst performer of the night (in my humble opinion,and Simon's...Scott) was in the top 3 and Constanaine was sentg packing. It seems as if America is bent on voting in the worst singer as the next "American Idol".

[Currently playing on my IPod: More Than Life by Hillsong]

The loss of monarchy

Yesterday while sitting in the park after lunch, I was thinking how we may have lost something with the decline of monarchy in our world. Now don't get me wrong I'm not an ardent monarchist... that debate is not what this post is about.

What I was thinking is that in comparison to previous generations where there was a strong, respected monarchy, we are missing out on something. There is very little grandeur or majesty in modern Western society. We can no longer relate so well to what it is to revere a monarch and perhaps this detracts from our worship of God.

In times gone by the trappings and regalia and status of the King helped provide an earthly image of the way in which humanity related to the heavenly King. The monarch in those days was someone held in such high regard, put on such a height that common folk could never aspire to reach. So the people would have an idea of how to relate to a sovereign all powerful God.

Conversely, the thought of a King who would become one of them, befriend them, and even die for them, would have seemed all the more incredible and amazing to these people than it would to us with our modern view that all humans are equal.

It seems to be now that we no longer have the experience/knowledge of what it means to relate to an earthly monarch, we may have lost a valuable way of comprehending what it means to worship God. Although we sing about God "our King" still, does that phrase have any real meaning to us anymore?

"Amazing Love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me?"

[Currently playng on my IPod: Shaking The Tree by Peter Gabriel]

Top of the 90's?

I was thinking about music yesterday - that it's not all that easy to select who might be the greatest band of the nineties. In my mind the preceeding decades each have an obvious candidate (though I'm sure others may disagree)...

50s - Elvis Presley
60s - The Beatles
70s - Led Zeppelin
80s - U2

For the nineties I found it harder to pick just one band. I could quite easily choose a top 5, and from that narrow it down to 2 or 3, but found it very hard to narrow it down to just 1.

My top 5 would be Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, No Noubt and REM. All of these bands started out in the early 90s (except REM) and all had some degree of longevity. I can't really think of any really stand-out bands that surfaced in the latter half of the 90s. All of these bands have their own unique sound as well which I think is an important factor - you instantly know it's them when you hear one of their songs.

If I had to pick, I would probably go with Radiohead just simply because of their massive popularity and influence without really much airplay. I obviously exlcuded what many consider to be the best band of the era (Nirvana) but to me they are not that creative or original.

What do you think?

[Currently playing on my IPod: Everywhere I Go by The Call]

A bit of cultcha (culture)!

* Q: What do bullet-proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A: All invented by women.

* Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A: Honey.

* Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase 'goodnight, sleep tight'.

* It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month or what we know today as the honeymoon.

* Last but not least: In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

[Currently playing on my IPod: Light by Hillsong United]

Enhanced awareness and Life in the Bubble

It's funny how you don't notice something until you start thinking about it yourself, or, conversely, once you are in the market for something or pondering something you begin to see it everywhere. For example, you never notice how many laptops there are about the place until you are looking to buy one yourself, and then you see them everywhere. Or you never notice how many pregnant people there are in the shops until someone in your family is pregnant. Or you suddenly start to see how many 4WDs there are on the road when you are looking at buying one.

Something like that happened to me this morning. I read an article in the Dallas Morning News today that said this:

"Even without the white wires you can tell who they are. They walk down the street in their own MP3 cocoon, bumping into others, deaf to small social cues, shutting out anyone not in their bubble."

And then, while walking around in the city this morning from the train to my office, it seemed that every 3rd person had white wires trailing down from their ears, locked inside their MP3 cocoon. I'd never seen so many people with earphones before.

Of course I must admit that it wasn't just the Dallas Morning News article that made me so acutely aware of the iPodders, it was more the fact that I myself was amongst them, white wires leading from my ears down to that magical white device in my bag, surrounded by people, but in my own little bubble of private sound. And I felt a strange sense of kindred with those other coccooned ones as well, knowing that we shared the same experience of isolation in public - very weird.

[Currently playing on my IPod: Vertigo by U2]

Dual Disc

Bruce Sprinsgteen's new album is being released as a Dual Disc format with normal CD audio on one side and then DVD video on the other side. I'm surprised it took them this long to come up with this idea since double sided DVDs have been around for ages.

The only concern I have is that if this becomes widespread what will happen to the traditional concept of a music album?? - will video content become obligatory and thus will music artists end up being made more and more into video/movie stars?

Also why did we never see double sided audio CDs? For many years we've been getting double albums with 2 CDs in the one case. If this sort of thing is possible why did no-one ever invent a double sided CD, or if they did, why didn't it take off?

[Currently playing on my IPod: Still Here by Vertical Horizon]

The curse of consumerism

This quote from Brian McLaren about consumerism vs contemplation, captured an idea that's been nagging at the edges of my consciousness for a long time :

"one acquires more and more things without taking the

time to ever see and know them, and thus one never truly

enjoys them. One has without truly having. The consumer

is right - there is pleasure to be had in good things, a

sacred and almost unspeakable pleasure, but the

consumer wrongly thinks that one finds this pleasure by

having more and more possessions instead of possessing

them more truly through grateful contemplation."

I know I'm a victim of this trap - caught in a cycle of materialism and acquisition, without really taking the time to savour the things which I am lucky enough to acquire.

For me the clearest example of this is music. When I was in my teens and had no money, when I was able to save and buy a CD it was a big deal to me - I'd listen to that CD over and over again so that I would know much of it by heart (and that includes some pretty crappy CDs now that I look back) - nowadays I probably buy more CDs, but get to listen to them once or twice while doing something else at the same time (like driving, or reading, or computer stuff) so I never really get to know and savor the good thing that I have got. And the same goes for many other things in my materially blessed existence. Perhaps there is something to be said for a more ascetic, contemplative lifestyle, where one can take the time to truly appreciate and contemplate the simple things which God has provided for us...

Sharing Life with God

As I was driving to mid-week church yesterday, I had some interesting insights about how God wants us to share our daily lives with him. I thought it was quite powerful so I stopped and scribbled some of it down.

Below is an extended version of what I've been thinking about :

Imagine you are an artist, and you've produced a masterpiece. How do you think you would get the most satisfaction and pleasure out of your art? I'd suggest that it would be when standing alongside someone else who is admiring and appreciating what you have created. Or put yourself in the place of a master-chef (or home cooking enthusiast), producing a seven course culinary treat. Which do you think you would prefer - to receive a cursory "Thanks. The food was good" at the end, or to sit down alongside the diners and watch as they savour the delicious meal? To see the delighted reaction on their faces as they taste each new piece of food, and to hear their satisfied "mmmm's" as they eat and nod their appreciation for what you have prepared for them.

Finally, imagine you are an expert gardener (this is a big stretch of the imagination for me). You have spent years crafting a wonderful garden, carefully selecting and planting each tree and flower, positioning them exactly where you want according to your master plan. You include paths and fish-ponds and all sorts of other special features which make this garden a wonderful place to explore. Now certainly after all this time and work, you yourself would be able to get immense pleasure from this garden, but don't you think this would be amplified even more by walking through it with another, sharing in their surprise and enjoyment of what you have built.

Now take the big step of trying to put yourself in God's shoes for a moment. It's impossible for us to comprehend just what it's like to be God, to have an constant awareness of everything in the vastness of the created universe, simultaneously being in tune with huge supernovae many billions of light-years away and the movement of a single bacterium here on earth. And of course not forgetting that He is also interested in every moment of every life of the six billion or so humans on this planet of ours. That kind of existence that God has is just too mind-blowing for our little human brains to even start to understand.

But on a simpler level God can be compared to the artist, the chef, and the gardener I mentioned earlier. He has created something amazing, and part of His reason for creating it is for us to enjoy and appreciate it, along with him. And part of his reason for creating us is so that there is someone else to enjoy all that he has made.

If we look at Genesis chapter 1, after God completes each step in the creation of the world, we see the line "and God saw that it was good" It's almost like an artist stepping back from his canvas and nodding his approval. But what artist would want to paint a picture that no-one sees? And what chef would create a meal that only she or he gets to eat? So God moves on from there to create humans, beings in the image of God, who can share in his appreciation and enjoyment of creation. He puts man and woman in His garden, where He walks with them and participates as they explore his creation, discovering animals and putting names to them. In the perfect world God shares in the life of his people, walking alongside them and getting pleasure from their enjoyment of his world.

Now let's switch metaphors to that of a parent with a child (there's no metaphor that can adequately encompass all the complexities of a relationship with God, so using multiple ones is the best we can do). Parents long to be able to share in the lives of their children. It's an amazing feeling in the heart of a parent watching as your child explores and learns about the world that we've brought them into. But as children grow, often the amount of their lives that they share with their parents decreases. The inevitable grunt of "nothing" in answer to the question "what did you do at school today?" As they grow up through childhood and adolescence the child becomes more and more independant and the parents can only share in that child's life to the extent that the child chooses to let the parents in.

And our relationship with God is similar to this. He longs to be a part of our lives and share with us as we walk through the world which he created for us, but only does so to the extent that we choose to let him in. And there's a wide variation in people's responses here. Some are like a child who leaves home at the earliest opportunity, going off and living their life without maintaining any contact with God, even to the point that they deny his very existence. And for these people God, like the father of the prodigal son, patiently waits against the day that they choose to come home into his loving arms. Even when they are far from Him, he still maintains his love for them, although he grieves that he is not invited to share in their lives.

Other people acknowledge their parents, and if asked would say they are indeed thankful for all that their parents have done for them, but then as they 'grow up' they go off and live their own busy lives, independantly and without much contact with their parents, aside from the occaisional visit because of guilt or a sense of duty. Probably a great majority of us Christians relate to God in this manner most of the time. We send up prayers to him occaisionally, even every day, and go to church on Sunday and maybe do other church activities, but for 95% or more of our waking time, we don't give God a second thought.

I think God wants something better for us than this. I don't think he wants to be like the cook (or the parent) who creates a sumptious meal only to get a cursory "thanks, that was nice" in response at the end. I think God wants to share with us as we consume every morsel of the great feast of life that he has prepared for us. He wants to walk alongside us as we stroll through his garden, and he wants to share with us the highs and lows of 'growing up' rather than being a distant, unappreciated parent. And the thing with God is that this is actually possible. Unlike a human parent, God is always present at our side. He doesn't just live up in the sky in heaven so we can call up to Him once in a while - rather his existence fills the universe and He is actually proximate to us wherever we go.

So prayer doesn't need to be like a letter to someone in the sky, or an email, or even like a phone-call (which seems to me to be the metaphor most of us have of prayer - like God's waiting on the end of the line - we pick up the phone and talk to him in the morning and hang up when we are finished, and he sits there waiting until we decide to phone him again - there actually was a very geeky 50s song called 'Royal Telephone' which captured this picture nicely). Rather prayer is talking to a friend who is right there beside us, sitting next to us on the couch or in the car, or in our office or where-ever we are. And if we properly appreciate this metaphor for prayer, then we can truly begin to share every moment of our lives with him, the ever-present friend who walks beside us through the garden of life which he has created.

A similar concept is expressed by Brother Lawrence, a Catholic monk from a few hundred years ago, in a book called "Practicing the Presence of God." Brother Lawrence saw life and prayer as a continual conversation with God, throughout every moment of every day of his life. And this truly is the way in which God wants to share our lives with us. He wants to enjoy his creation through my eyes my life, to savour it with me and share in it's delights. Just as Jesus invites us to share in his body and his blood in the communion supper, we should invite him to share in our body and blood and accompany us through life. Communion is not just a symbol of death and sacrifice - it is also a symbol of a life shared. God came down to share his life with us, and he wants us to share ours with him.

The challenge for us is to consider how we can invite God to share in our daily life, and how we can be more aware of his continual presence at our side. This is certainly not an easy habit or mindset to get into, but I think it is what God wants for us and will allow us to truly experience life as He originally intended.

Generous lives

I spent a few minutes this morning meditating on Proverbs 11:25, which says:

A generous man will prosper;
He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

This verse is profoundly challenging to me because I find I don't naturally lead a "generous" life. I think it's also interesting that the link is drawn between people who live generously and the observation that those around them are refreshed.

I found myself asking, are people refreshed when they have been with me? Are they refreshed by my speech? My life?

What do you think?
- What does it mean to lead a generous life?

-How can we, as leaders, foster environments where generous people refresh non-Christians and worshippers when they come into our communities?

Happy Birthday McDonald's

McDonald's is 50 years old this week.

Well, sort of. Dick and Mac McDonald opened their first drive-through, in San Bernardino, California, in 1948.

The birthday being marked today was the result of a meeting the brothers had with a milkshake-mixer salesman called Ray Kroc, six years later.

Mr Kroc was the creator of McDonald's unique way of doing business. "What Henry Ford did for cars, McDonald's did for burgers," says John Williamson of branding agency Wolff Olins.

This demanded intense attention to detail. In 1961, for example, Mr Kroc opened Hamburger University, granting bachelor degrees in hamburgerology.

It's now in 121 countries, more than half of which were added during the 1990s.

FACT - no two countries with a McDonald's presence have ever gone to war.

Dignity

One of the things that I admire about the Saviour, was his discipline, exercised under pressure. Under fire. Under injustice.

From time to time I guess, we all feel that we are being mocked, belittled or persecuted to varying degrees. In our humanity, we will do it to others. We question their motives, although in Truth, we do not really know them.

Too often I fail.

In a tempest, my fast and hard words of anger or wit fired at an antagonist to cut straight to their very core with the objective of bittersweetly evening up the score.

As I grow older and (hopefully) wiser (a result of my own mistakes), I am more frequently choosing silence over an unbridled tongue. Choosing restraint over fiery passion.

And in this time of percieved weakness, electing to abdicate ownership of a certain victory, there one finds true strength and comfort in silence. Leaving vengence to serendipity and ultimately to the Father.

....And of course it's never a good idea to dignify a fool with a response.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man
of understanding is even-tempered;
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue".-Proverbs 17:27-28

Blah

I slept horribly Saturday night. I left early from having pizza and watching a movie with my hometeam members, so I could get plenty of sleep for my busy Sunday. For some reason a fever hit me right after I got home, and I was miserable all night. I felt de-energized all of yesterday as a result, then a migraine came on last night around 8pm. Thankfully all of that has passed, and I am doing a lot better. Wonder what brought it all on?

Free Agent

I just registered for the Fellowship Church volleyball league as a free agent. That means I have no clue who's team I will be playing on, but I kind of like that since it will give me the opportunity to meet some new people. League play begins on May 19th and goes all the way until Sept. 26th! It will be a long, and fun season!

Been thinking

When God created the universe, He spoke it into existence. Some even say He sang it into existence. The very sound of God's voice created everything that is. He spangled stars over blackness like diamonds on velvet.
But, when He created us, His children, His image, He got His hands dirty. He dug His fingers into the clay and formed us from the earth. Kneeling down over the man-formed mound of dirt, God placed His lips on Adam's and breathed life into him. "And man became a living soul."

Our anthropology doesn't start with 'the Fall' - it starts with 'a Kiss'. We are the descendants of Adam. We are God's very image walking around on legs... all of us. The good, the bad and the ugly... His image!
The problem is, we've been infected with a virus called sin and that virus has been passed down from generation to generation. But our Heavenly Father has found the cure and delivered it Himself... a blood transfusion. His blood. It was the only way He could reconcile His creation back to Himself.

I've heard well-meaning preachers raise their voices (usually when their outline got weak), pound on pulpits (usually when a deacon fell asleep) and proclaim that we are "dirty, low-down, good-for-nothing, sinners." I believe the message I heard (more from their tone than their words) was that I was sin itself - the sin that easily beset me was who I was. Yes, I am a sinner but I am NOT sin. And neither are you. We are the image of God. Broken? Yes. But His image, nonetheless. And He didn't think we were 'good-for-nothing', in fact, He sent the best He had to rescue us. He came Himself. "He thought it not robbery." He felt good about the deal: His life for ours.

I believe inside the DNA of every human there is something that remembers Eden. A faint recollection of footsteps crushing leaves beneath them in the cool of the day... our hearts jumping for joy as we ran to our Father. He always came in the cool of the day. You could count on it. He never missed. He would throw us in the air and catch us (like parents have been doing with their children ever since.) He walked with us and talked with us. Then, we were infected. We sinned. All of a sudden, we knew we were naked. We felt ashamed.

After we sinned, He still came in the cool of the day. We hid. But He still came. He didn't come because of our goodness, or because of our sinfulness. He came because we were His.

There's an ache inside of me that longs for Eden. And, every now and then, something will remind me of Home. It's almost like a 'thin place' - where the veil between this life and the 'other side' almost become one - the dark glass (that Paul referred to) clears for a second. And, for a brief moment, things make sense.

Something tells me our greatest days are ahead. And, it's going to be wonderful... beyond comprehension. A thousand Walt Disney's couldn't imagine it. I know it's there. I know it's real. I know it's Home. And everything will be clear. Perfectly clear. Where we're headed is even better than Eden. It's The New Jerusalem. Where, once again, we will hear His footsteps in the cool of the day. The God who came for us... walked with us... delivered us... and brought us back Home.

Charles Schultz Philosophy

You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read this straight through, and you'll get the point that it is trying to make!

Take this quiz:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last six Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name six heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia."- Charles Schultz

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Remember the scene from Shrek where Donkey is jumping up and down shouting....pick me, pick me!

Here’s a great poem written by a schoolboy…

When we pick teams in the playground
Whatever the game might be
There’s always somebody left till last
And it’s usually me.

I stand there looking hopeful
And tapping myself on the chest
But the captains pick the others first
Starting of course with the best.

Maybe if teams were sometimes picked
Starting with the worst
Once in his life a boy like me
Could end up being first

The reality is that many of us have never left the playground, we still secretly believe that God will only love us when we do well.

The mind-blowing concept of grace – God’s unmerited favor towards us – is hard for us to grasp in a society so used to earning love and acceptance.

Because of God’s amazing grace we’re on the team! First name on the team roster!!!!

The Final Analysis

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Forgive them, anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind, anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed, anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank, anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build, anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, there may be jealousy.
Be happy, anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good, anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you've got, anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them, anyway.

Eight of the original Ten Paradoxical Commandments by Kent M. Keith, 1968. Adopted by Mother Teresa and posted on the wall of a children's home in Calcutta

New Toy

Just picked up the new Nokia 3220 on Thursday. It's the first phone that I've ever had with the capability of taking video. Some of the ring tones are ridiculously loud. I was in the mall Saturday and had the phone set to the "Fire Alarm" ring tone. A call came in, and I kid you not, everyone within a 50 foot radius stopped dead in their tracks. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be able to have the phone set to that particular ring tone while I'm at the office...mass chaos could result!

Lessons from Mother

My mother taught me RELIGION:
"You better pray that it will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me REASON:
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me LOGIC:
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT:
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me IRONY:
"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS:
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM:
"Will you 'look' at the dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA:
"You'll sit there 'till all that spinach is finished."

My mother taught me about WEATHER:
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS:
"If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen THEN?"

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times - Don't exaggerate!!!"

My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION:
"Just wait until we get home."

My Mother taught me about RECEIVING:
"You are going to get it when we get home!"

My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE:
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD:
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."

My Mother taught me ESP:
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you're cold?"

My Mother taught me HUMOR:
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT:
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My Mother taught me about SEX:
"How do you think you got here?"

My Mother taught me about GENETICS:
"You're just like your father."

My Mother taught me about my ROOTS:
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE:
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."

And...My Mother taught me about JUSTICE:
"One day you'll have kids... and I hope they turn out just like you!"

How to Start a Blog

Many of my friends have asked me what a blog is and how do I start one.

Are you thinking about starting a blog? Maybe you have started down that path, but pulled back because it is too confusing. Maybe you think you need to have some technical skills?

Mike Hyatt wrote the best “How To” post about starting a blog that I have ever read. If you are thinking about starting a blog, this is your one stop shop. Mike Hyatt is the head of Thomas Nelson Publishers, one of the big guns in Christian publishing. Here's the link:

http://michaelhyatt.blogs.com/fromwhereisit/2005/04/how_to_start_a_.html

Must be doing something right

The following is a post from my friend's blog about Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. I used to sing here on the praise team, and it's awesome to see how many people were reached...anyway here's the post:

Now that the cat has been publicly let out of the bag about Fellowship Easter numbers I can put them out on my site. I have been peppered with emails asking what our numbers were, so here it is!

Without a doubt, Easter and Christmas are our two biggest weekends at FC. This year for Easter we had many cards stacked against us. 1) Spring Break and 2) Horrible weather. Two scenarios that were not good for us. However, it turned out great. God showed up in a great way and made the very best of a potentially bad situation. Just for you to know, we had a total of 18 services over our 4 campuses over 3 days. Crazy! Here is how the numbers break down.

Alliance: 1,415 (Easter Sunday was the grand opening for this satellite)
Uptown: 1,345
Plano: 3,199
Grapevine: 28,542
Adding up to a grand total of 34,501

Yes, 34k is a lot of people, but the amazing thing to look at is the incredible turn out at our satellite campuses. We are praying that this is a launching pad for us to reach those communities.

Also, it is very important for us and everyone to remember that behind each and every number is a person. We now are completely focused on connecting and reaching those people and getting them involved in the life of FC.

Advice Taken

It looks like the Monterrey Bay Aquarium took my advice. I guess my Marine Biology degree is good for something. Here's the link to the article http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/03/31/shark.release.reut/index.html