Praise Report

I had a great night last night with the folks from The Foundry Church and the Logos Student Ministry at Widener University for their event Redemption. The program was opened by the always amazing Fourth Man Furnace. Then Brian Easter came out and did half of his set. I did my piece “The Collector” from A Night AMOK, Pix of JC and then Brian Easter came back out and finished off the evening with a set of worship music. It was a great night, I had a great time and pray that God was glorified.

Thanks to Pastor Chuck and Joy Kieffer, Hair Kelly, Fourth Man Furnace and Brian Easter for agreat evening of worship and ministry. I love doing what I do.

By the way if you haven’t heard Brian Easter yet, check him out.

Collaboration Illustrated

A few months back, just before Christmas, I was approached by Chuck and Joy Kieffer of The Foundry Church to help with their Christmas Rocks program at Weidener University, We were going to create a performance art project together telling the Christmas story. Joy and I put our heads together to come up with the project. I had seen a Youtube video of a guy who did a painting of the face of Jesus on six cardboard boxes and suggested we do a variation of that. I then came up with some roughy sketches. The sketches weren’t quite what Joy had in mind and she took a run at something a little different.

I loved what she came up with but I’ll confess I thought it was far too complicated to get finished in the time allotted. Nonetheless, now we had a plan. Somehow we got more time than I thought we had, and Joy recruited her daughter to help with the painting and it came out great. Chris Pierdeminico from The Foundry videotaped one of the sides being created and I think you’ll agree it came out pretty cool.

We did four paintings in all that night on nine boxes )over 80 square feet of full color art). It seemed to be very well received and I thought it was a very successful collaboration. Collaboration works when we are willing to be humble enough to see another way of doing things, comfortable with the give and take of exchanging ideas, flexible enough to try a different approach and determined to get it done. Of course having God in the midst of it can’t help but help.

God never said it would be easy.
Bible Reading Guide
An important part of following God is knowing what He wants and a great way to know what He wants is to read His Word. Follow this plan and you will finish reading the Bible in a year.
Leviticus 15; John 8
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Out of Control

Yesterday I shared this idea about handing over control to God and as promised today I want to share what happened.

First of all I was tested. I left my office with the intent of taking a one and a half hour drive. That of course turned into a two hour+ drive with traffic and what appeared to be a fire setting me off the route I knew. I made a turn to go around the incident only to discover I turned not onto another road but onto a rather lengthy drive into a school (Does anyone remember “No Outlet” signs? One would have been nice here.) Sadly I flunked that test, but I repented of my attitude and eventually arrived at my destination.

I prayed again and gave God control of the evening and a peace washed over me. Nerves became nervous energy which is infinitely better. I still wasn’t sure we could finish, but that was in God’s hands.

Well we finished (God even gave us more time than we had envisioned and the timing looked flawless as if we had choreographed it) and it looked great but that’s not really the biggest thing. I learned to collaborate and I don’t have to always be in control, but that’s not the biggest thing either. The biggest thing was when the speaker finished his message gave a call to come to Jesus and hands went up. In a small way God used me and my friends to touch eternity. Not too shabby. When you feel like you’re out of control, give God control. He will never let you down.

The video will go up soon, special thanks to Fourth Man Furnace, Sunday Obsession, Brian Neal, Chuck Kieffer and the Foundry church, Hair Kelly and the Forge at Widener University Sarah Kieffer for painting and Joy Kieffer for planning the whole thing.

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