National Worship Leader Conference

This week I had the opportunity to attend the National Worship Leader Conference. It was held in Leawood, Kansas at Church of the Resurrection so was just a hop, skip, and a jump away for me. It was pretty incredible to get so many leaders (estimated 1,600) in the worship music area across the nation together. There were concerts by musicians such as David Crowder Band, Mac Powell, Laura Story, Aaron Shust, Paul Baloche, Matt Maher, Jeremy Riddle, and Christy Nockels. During the day there were also seminars touching on a variety of topics relevant to worship leaders. The days were long but it was very cool to spend time with so many worship leaders and the times of worship were amazing. The audience was ready to be set aflame with hearts in worship to God.

Once in a Millennium

Tomorrow at precisely 4:05:06 AM a once in a Millennium event will occur. The date and time will be 04:05:06 07/08/09. This will not occur for another thousand years.

Fireworks

Here are some pictures from 4th of July fireworks at Hidden Valley park and Worlds of Fun. I'd not taken the moving sparkler shots before but thought they turned out very cool.

Singing Warriors

2 Chronicles 20:21-22 "And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.' And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed."

The background story for this passage is that Jehoshaphat (as a side note, this would be a great name for a cat :) and Judah were about to be attacked by the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites, "a great multitude." Needless to say, the nation of Judah, along with their king, were a bit afraid. They fasted and prayed and cried out to God recognizing their inability to conquer the enemy. He heard them and the Lord of angel armies assured them that they would be victorious in battle. When they got up, ready to go out to battle, the king appointed people to sing praise to the Lord. Not only did they sing, but they LED THE WHOLE ARMY! They were claiming victory before the battle even started and were so confident in God's power that they put the singers up front.

I don't know what it sounded like but I like to think of something along the lines of "O Fortuna" by Carl Orff from Carmina Barina. It's a massive choral piece that starts out very terse and soft and half way through the timpani kick in and the chorus goes from pianisimo to fortismo immediately. It's huge and would strike fear in opposition. At the huge part, I think of the angel armies of God rushing forward utterly decimating and destroying the enemy.



Judah then went to gather an enormous amount of plunder for 3 days followed by a time of worship and celebration for God's providence.

I think there's application here for people going through difficult circumstances or seemingly insurmountable obstacles in life. Of course, proper preparation and wisdom is vital but don't get so caught up in the tough spot that you forget who is Lord. Instead of freaking out and worrying to death, praise Him in the moment then go and stride forward claiming victory.

Here's a simple song I wrote based on this passage.

I will praise you Lord in the darkest night
when the battle roars when it's hard to fight
I will praise you Lord when evil comes
when I want to hide when I want to run

I'm gonna praise You, yes I will praise You

The victory is Yours oh God
You are the Lord the mighty One
Salvation comes by Your own hand
and with You, I'll always stand

Town Hall with Sam Graves

Yesterday, I went to an outdoor town hall to hear my congressman, Sam Graves, speak. There were around 250 people there and the topic was centered on tax reform. He talked about the unfairness of the estate tax being a double tax after having the money already taxed at the time it was earned. He also mentioned the Fair Tax which seems to be gaining some support in congress. The fair tax is a concept of abolishing the current income tax system and instead using a national sales tax. This would allow people to choose when to pay tax by when they choose to purchase things. There are also provisions that would make necessities like food effectively non-taxable. He also talked about making the tax system less onerous on small businesses and the fact that the government by and large does not create jobs but rather small businesses create jobs.

A lot of times I don't entirely agree with a politician but through responses to emails I've written him and along with hearing him in person, I found that his philosophies match up with mine, at least fiscally. It was nice to see an actual member of congress in person and get the sense that he is really working to make a difference in the federal government.

The Noticer

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

The Noticer is an outstanding book with wisdom for people in a wide range of life stages. Andrews tells the story from a narrator's point of view while occasionally attaching to other characters. Consistent in each person we meet is a man named "Jones," or if they're Hispanic "Garcia," if Asian, "Chen." Jones is an elderly man who carries a ubiquitous suitcase which many times contains something providing a bit of encouragement, insight, or wisdom for those he interacts with.

Andrews writes that he first met Jones while Andrews was a young man in a set of rough circumstances and living under a dock by the ocean. Jones encourages him to look at things in such a way to better himself through becoming someone people enjoy being around as well as constantly learning from other's lives by reading. His first reading assignment from Jones includes reading the biographies of Winston Churchill, Will Rodgers in addition to moving on to many other famous people's biographies from whom he learns.

Jones also interacts with a couple who is about to get a divorce but he helps them gain perspective on love. Those familiar with The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman will find many similarities in this section. Jones helps the couple see that they truly do love each other; it's just that the husband's love language is words of affirmation and the wife's is acts of service. They commit to working on speaking the other's language.

Other people Jones encourages are a group of teenagers on what it takes to find a good match for a spouse. A man on the verge of suicide due to a mid life crisis finds perspective through talking with Jones. An elderly woman who thinks she has nothing to give the world since all her children are grown, her husband has passed away and she has nothing to live for meets Jones who helps her see that she can still make a great impact by pointing out that people like Colonel Sanders never opened a chicken restaurant till he was in his 60s, Winston Churchill and Golda Meir accomplished most of what they are known for in their 60s and 70s among other examples.

One key interaction was with a hard driving young businessman who was finding monetary success but at the expense of his reputation and relationships. Jones helps him to recognize what is truly important in life and how critical it is to do business in a manner that is honorable.

Interspersed in his insights and wisdom are Biblical examples and passages. Jones seems to meet up with the people at pivotal points in their lives and offers insight and perspective that allow them to raise their heads above the turmoil and noise and see things in a new light. He acts as a mentor/guru with a preternatural ability to be at the right time and place when a person needs to get a new perspective.

The book is a fast read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it as something to keep in your library and come back to later for encouragement and wisdom on life.

If you found this review helpful, please let Amazon know at this link.

Tennessee Credit Card Massacre

In the spirit of the destruction of credit cards as inspired by Dave Ramsey, here's a creative short video of the untimely demise of some credit cards.



This video was referenced in a Wall Street Journal article.

Spaghetti Score Fiscal Year End 2009

Welcome to the Spaghetti Score Fiscal Year End annual report. Last year came in at a strong 58. Due to a modest increase in culinary exploration during the past year, we saw the spaghetti score for June 2008 to 2009 fall to 51. We at the Wisdom of Dre don't look at this drop off negatively and believe it points to an overall improvement in dietary variety. The weekly average equates to .98 spaghetti meals per week.

For past history in this endeavor, see the following links 2008 and 2007 If you'd like to track current history, see the spaghetti score in the side bar.

Treble Clef on the Sidewalk

Today, while walking outside, I saw a rubber band on the ground shaped like a treble clef. I thought it was really interesting how the rubber band was randomly arranged to form a music symbol.

Amaryllis

Here are some flower photos that I took while visiting my folks in Atlanta. 5 bonus points will be given to the first person to correctly identify the name of the flowers and post as a comment.

Robins

Robins are one of my favorite song/yard birds. Their appearance is a sure sign that spring is just about here. I really like the way they hop along with a bit of an attitude and assertiveness like "yeah, don't mess with me I own this piece of dirt." The nice red/orange colors offset against the dark top feathers makes them stand out. Robin eggs are also a very cool shade of blue. I think they're great all around.

These pictures are from some robins that set up shop right outside where I live.

Once A Runner

Once A Runner by John L. Parker.

For several years, I'd heard of Once a Runner and it's cult following in the running subculture. Being a runner for many years myself, I was excited when I learned that the novel would be released again.

The novel follows a protagonist named Quentin Cassidy during his running career in the 1970s at the fictional Southeastern University in Kernsville, Florida. (Based loosely on the University of Florida in Gainesville) Cassidy is one of the top milers in the nation with race times around 4:00 flat. In addition to his running adventures, we also follow his humorous escapades as a college student and ring leader of various mischief.

As a result of Cassidy's leadership role in an athlete uprising against unreasonable administration rules, he is banned from the track team and decides to drop out of school to pursue training exclusively while living in a cabin in the woods. During this training he further refines his mental and physical abilities to finely honed race condition. This training culminates in a race against the fastest miler in the world.

The book captures with extreme accuracy the many aspects of life as a competitive distance runner. It goes through the components of training including long runs, speed work, training logs, eating, sleeping, stretching, and race preparations among others. It additionally touches on the social nuances that runners experience in the football centric American sports culture. I found the pre-race rituals and description of nervousness as well as feelings and thoughts during the actual race to be right on target.

The book alternates between rambunctious tomfoolery college scenes and the more reflective passages of both group and individual training. The flow parallels running quite well. At times a runner will interact with the hustle and bustle of the non-running world and at times he or she will enter the separate world of running and introspective thinking.

The plot is exciting throughout with varying components of humor, drama, and heart pounding racing. Once A Runner will entertain and strike a nerve especially with the competitive runner. It's a great read for the casual runner or the person simply interested in a good sports story.

If you found this review helpful, please let Amazon know at this link.

Snow in Spring?

No silly. That's not snow they're dandelions. Each spring the park close to where I live has a massive amount of dandelions which create a great yellow base for a week or so followed by snowy white as they go to the seed phase.

Prayer: Conversing With God

Sometimes prayer is perceived as needing to be a high and lofty exercise of religion with flowery language that one must be "trained" in or spend years going to seminary to learn. Rosalind Rinker helps to dispel this perception and shows how easy it can be to have a very real and active prayer life.

The subtitle "Conversing With God" describes the main focus and type of prayer that Ms. Rinker refers to. Prayer is simply a conversation with God and not some formal theological exercise. Just as one would speak with a friend or family member, they can also speak with God. Just as a person might talk about the day with a friend, let Him know what's going on, thank and praise Him for the incredible things He's done and for who He is, and seek His wisdom for their life.

She also helps show how to incorporate prayer throughout the day and not just at designated times. In some Bible studies, people spend more time talking about prayer requests than actually praying. Rinker helps show how to structure prayer time so that it naturally flows like a conversation with the Holy Spirit prompting people to pray as they are led and as things come to mind. By making it more of a conversation, you both talk with the people in the group and with Jesus who is there with you.

She also addresses the risk of praying to impress other people or gain their approval by manufacturing emotion, fervency, or eloquent speech. This completely misses the point of prayer which is communicating with God. If one wishes to be eloquent and have people praise him or her for their great public speaking abilities, they should seek out alternate venues rather than "showing off" during times of prayer.

The book incorporates scripture passages as well as real life examples to illustrate conversational prayer. It also has a short devotional section at the back of the book which can be used to learn this style of prayer and engaging with God one on one.

The book is written in an easy to understand format and can be read very quickly. I recommend reading a chapter at a time to allow time to meditate on the chapter topic. If you would like good tips on improving your prayer life and how to communicate with God in a down to earth manner, this book offers very practical and easy steps to implement.

If you found this review helpful, please let Amazon know at this link.

Be My Everything

Today was the first time we played "Everything" by Tim Hughes at church. This week as I've been playing and meditating on it, it's been a great reminder of what is hopefully my ultimate desire, the one above all else. I love the chorus and bridge especially when singing with all you are from the heart and soul to Jesus. Awesome!

"Be my everything, Be my everything, Be my everything, Be my everything
Christ in me, Christ in me the hope of glory be my everything"

Good Ideas vs. Priorities

There are many things that we think are good ideas. For example, hanging with friends, running/working out, reading, spending time with God, cleaning the home, practicing an instrument, getting out in nature, getting enough sleep, eating healthily, cooking/baking, writing a note to someone, taking a class, starting a small business; all of these are good ideas. However, there may be a host of good ideas but if we don't make them a priority and take steps to make them happen, they remain just a good idea.

For me, I've made running and lifting weights a priority (the former because I truly enjoy it. The latter because a skinny white boy can use all the help he can get :) and do so fairly consistently. Studying is usually a priority and the accountability of a class structure helps enforce that though it sometimes falls down the list. Getting enough sleep is both a good idea and mostly a priority though sometimes other things bleed over into sleep time. I've tried to make a more concerted effort to follow a routine in the evening to help with this.

On the opposite end of the spectrum I think cleaning and organizing things at home is a great idea but it's just not a priority for me. It really doesn't bother me that much. I generally do keep things clean but from a neatness standpoint, not so much. As long as the cave is mostly warm (or cool depending on season) and dry we here at The Wisdom of Dre are generally pretty happy.

So, I think the take away is that we should be honest with ourselves in making priorities and not confusing priorities with good ideas. Acknowledge some things as good ideas but also recognize you're living in reality and don't get down on yourself for not always living perfectly. At the same time, some of those good ideas should be priorities and we need to structure things so that they actually happen rather than sitting in the closet of good ideas gathering dust. Take them out, dust them off, and put them in action.

Town Hall for Hope Stats

Last night, Dave Ramsey hosted the Town Hall for Hope. It was a great event in which he provided context around what happened to the economy, historical perspective, quotes, scripture, and straight talk. The media can tend to hype things and get everyone down and out thinking the world is coming to an end.

Here are some statistics that Dave shared during the Town Hall for Hope. When people starting talking about how terrible things are, they are good to keep in mind. These are re-posted from http://www.townhallforhope.com/index.cfm?event=displayPostStats".

Gold
* From 1833 to 2001, the compound annual growth rate was 1.54%.
* From 2001 to now, we’ve seen a compound annual growth rate of 15.57%.
* But even with the surge, the lifetime annual growth of gold is only 2.14%.

Foreclosures:

* 50% of United States foreclosures in 2008 came from 35 counties in 12 states.
* 20% of the United States’ population lives in these 35 counties.
* Eight counties in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada were the source of 25% of foreclosures.
* Existing home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.7 million units in February, 2009, and only 860,000 homes were repossessed all of 2008.

The Stock Market:

* Investors have made money 100% of the 15-year periods in the stock market’s history.
* Since 1974, the value of the S&P 500 has grown 1,250%, from 63 to 850.

The Great Depression and Recent Recessions:

* 1938–40: Unemployment grew to over 17%, the Stock Market dropped 89%, and bread lines were real; executives didn’t fly Gulfstreams to Washington, D.C. looking for bailouts.
* 1974: The Stock Market dropped 50%, gas lines snaked around the block, and inflation became stagflation, i.e. inflation in a stagnant economy.
* 1982: Inflation was over 10%, unemployment was over 10%, and the interest rate reached 17% on home mortgages.
* 2009: Unemployment is at 8.5%, there is no inflation, and the home mortgage rate is 4 3/8%. The Stock Market dropped 57%, but it has recently risen from a low of 6400 to over 8000.

Recovery from the Great Depression:

* Those who did nothing recovered in 4 years, 4 months.
* Those who sold out at the bottom realized a 78% loss.

Stock Market Performance Following Recessions:

* 1945–2007: The average bear market lasted 12.7 months with an average decline of 30.3%.

Seven

Did you know that 7 is the only number between 1 and 10 that has two syllables?

Alternative Minimum Tax

Being close to tax day, I thought a little discussion on a tax topic would be in order. The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) could be more aptly named as Another Malicious Tax. This nefarious piece of nastiness can jump up and bite unsuspecting taxpayers.

Basically, it was designed to make sure high income families were paying their fair share of taxes. Some people ended up paying relatively low tax amounts due to deductions and tax credits they used. So, the government didn't like that and instigated the AMT in 1969. The problem is that inflation measures were not incorporated so over time more and more people have been impacted by it including the middle class. It was never intended to affect the middle class but rather was an additional tax on high income families. Congress has incrementally increased the level at which a taxpayer is affected by it but has not yet put an inflation provision attached to it.

One example I'm familiar with is a family who had to pay the AMT when they were making an average annual wage and had 8 children. Each of the deductions they received for the children was much needed and getting hit by the AMT was not good for the financial picture.

Hopefully, Congress will either repeal the AMT altogether or attach an inflation provision so that it doesn't negatively impact the middle class as it was never intended to do.

We won't get into the discussion of whether it is fair to place an additional tax burden on high income families but at a minimum, provisions should be put in place to address inflation.

If you'd like to let your congress person know your thoughts on "Another Malicious Tax," go to senate.gov or house.gov and email them.

One Reason Southwest Airlines is Awesome

I regularly fly Southwest Airlines when it is an option. They usually have either the lowest fare or a very competitive one. In my experience they have better on time departure and arrival than other airlines. Some people prefer assigned seating but that really doesn't bother me. Their whole organization makes things fun and this can definitely be seen with their flight attendants. Check out this creative safety announcement. If only they had flights from Kansas City to Atlanta, I'd be sure to put them at the top of the list.

Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Rap