Happy Halloween!

Source:Los

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

I Love Working Here..

A lot of folks (Tyler and otherwise) have asked how we're liking Bethel. Our answer is always the same.

WE LOVE IT.

One of the most fun things so far about working here has been making these little short video clips to send to our people (via Facebook, the blog, etc.) We've tried some goofy stuff so far, but this most recent one takes the cake. I couldn't believe how great my co-workers were about shooting something like this and every time I watch it I'm grateful for these very fun (and funny) people that God's placed in my life.



Bethel Encourages Its Congregation from bethel bible on Vimeo.

What Levi Is Thinking...

November is National Blog Posting Month.

It's simple enough.

You make a commitment to blog every single day in November. (Including weekends.)

Why?

I'm not sure. I just think that blogging is cool.

You can find out more here...

So, who's in? Leave me a comment and join the revolution. At least for a month.

Source: DaddyDan

Edbassmaster Trying Out for MadTV!

Go here to vote for Edbassmaster! He really is the best one in the contest at this point.

Osteen Interview...

Just caught this interview Joel Osteen did w/ the Washington Post's Sally Quinn. She asked some really good questions. It's not real long, but I think it's an interesting look at Osteen's philosophy. Some of it is the same sort of stuff we hear, but there's also a lot of new stuff (at least to me.)



Love to know what you guys think...

Moore Farms...

Trip to Moore Farms from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

JUMP

How can you not love these dudes?

My Friday

Woke up around 7. Thankfully, my wife made me go to be early the night before, so I felt pretty good getting up.

Finley was up, too, but Jonah was still sleeping away in his room. We all started rushing around like crazy because we were heading to Lufkin for some early "trick-or-treating" with our families. (The last time we went to Lufkin, we ended up leaving WAY later than we had planned, which no doubt frustrated all those anxious grandparents back home who were dying to see their grandchildren.)

We also were FREEZING, so we fired up the heat in the house. (First time to do that...it's like the official start of Christmas, isn't it?)

We all got ready and headed to Lufkin by 8:50. We got on the phone to make sure all our various family folks knew we were headed to town. We got to "Sugar's" house by 10:30 and had some of her delicious fudge! Her house was decorated for fall, candles are lit and the fudge was still warm. What a welcome!

I headed to lunch around noon to meet up with some of my Lufkin buds. Since moving, I hadn't seen Chris, David or Clay. We had a great time - spent about two hours just laughing and catching up on what's been happening.

After lunch, came home. The kids played outside, watched cartoons, and Kristen and I just lounged around with them. I took a 20 minute nap (my favorite kind!) and then got up so we could start getting kids ready to go trick-or-treating. Yes...we did the Halloween thing a week early. More on that at a later time!

The kids had a blast - their costumes looked great and our families had loads of candy for them. We ended the night at my grandparents. We scheduled that later so that we'd have more time to hang out. In fact, since we bathed the kids before leaving that evening, we threw them in the PJs so they'd both go to sleep on the way home! We got back to Sugar's around 9. Both kids were asleep. I edited some video while Kristen and her mom talked for about an hour or so.

Just before going to bed, Kristen got sick. Like, you know...sick. But ever since her whole gallbladder incident she's turned out to be a real trooper when it comes to sickness. She stayed a little while composing herself before bed. Once she was resting, I took a shower. All in all, all were in bed and accounted for by midnight.

It was a fantastic day!

Didn't See This One Coming...

Source: 3CT

(If you're like me, I'm afraid to watch YouTube videos leading up to Halloween. I believe these are called "screamers." They're prank videos that surprise you at the last second with some horrible, shocking screaming ghoul jumping out at you. I actually hate these videos and I promise not to ever post one. This is a normal, goofy, funny video.)

MY DAY WITH KEM MEYER

Thanks to one of my new Tyler pals, I was able to attend the WiredChurch.com Regional Conference (sponsored by Granger Community Church.)

The conference was hosted by Spring Creek Community Church in Garland, Texas.

Sheesh...with the links.
I attended the "Communication" session led by Kem Meyer.
I've followed Kem's blog and twitter feed for awhile and I was excited to get to learn from her in person.

I can honestly say that I learned a ton of stuff. Seminars like this are always fun, because you spend the day in assessment. It's fun to find out what you're doing well and what needs improvement!

So, we show up about thirty minutes early. I grab a table near an outlet (so I could plug in my computer,) and start getting all my stuff together. I turn on my computer and see there's wifi! Yay! So, then I decide to Mogulus Broadcast the seminar. I fire up my webcam and start broadcasting. After a while, I've got a few folks watching, one of them being Ross Strader. I notice over on TwitterFox that Ross sent a message to Kem that his worship pastor was in the seminar.

I broadcast the first session which was VERY good. During the break, Ross is online and I start talking to him about what I'm learning. Just before the second session starts, Kem Meyer walks over to me and says,

"Are you Todd Wright? Ross sent me a twitter message!"

So I start talking to Kem. I didn't know that Ross had mentioned that I was doing the Mogulus thing. She asks me about it and I tell her that I am broadcasting video and audio.

Here is where I have to give her props. Because Kem uses a lot of personal stories, she offered to adapt her teaching so that none of that stuff would go out over the internet. I was so impressed...she could have very easily said, "Please don't do that" because I completely understood her respect for protecting her stories and the folks they involved. But she was very gracious and I totally knew where she was coming from. I thought she conducted herself with such grace in that situation.

I was happy to turn it off - I didn't want her to have to adapt her stuff. So I killed the Mogulus broadcast. And to make it even better...now Kem and I are Twitter friends. YAY!

My second great story has to do with lunch. The lunch break was an hour-and-a-half, but our fearless leader George wanted to forego the box lunches and hit a restaurant called "Mia Cocino." It tooks us a good while to get there. Once we sat down, we realize that we're not going to be fed in time. And that's when George pulls our waitress aside and says,
"If you can get our food out here in ten minutes, I'll tip you $10."

We got our food in twelve minutes. George Montalvo, ladies and gentlemen.

We headed back for the last two sessions...they were great. I encourage anybody who's involved with communication to check out Kem's blog. She's got a lot of hard-won wisdom and yet still serves with humility. There's a lot of good tips for church communication and the resources are incredible.

After the sessions we ate supper at this great Italian place that looked like an upscale Mafia-joint. It was long meal with lots of laughter, q & a, and processing of the day's events. After the meal, we piled into the truck to head back home. Got home around 9pm. I was able to see Jonah and put him in bed. After he went to sleep, I ran on the treadmill, showered, then packed a bit for our trip to Lufkin on Friday.

Twitter Is Funny...

This is an exchange between two of my best friends in the world via Twitter, the coolest invention in the world.

Just a reminder that I have very funny friends. And that Twitter is cool.

JASON FULLEN:

"Standing outside the window of one my jr high guys ALG listening to them talk about God & discuss the bible. Very cool stuff going on here."






ROBERT CONN:

"Baltimore PD... we have a visual on the suspect in the peeping tom report. Beware, he will likely try to take a shortcut."




I miss these guys so much.

Todd Video Blogging From His Workshop

Broadcasting today...not sure how much I'll be able to participate in any chatting/feedback stuff (there's lots of info here!) Feel free to watch!

Fast Forward to 2:30..

Source: Los

Yes, this girl posted this on YouTube. She currently sitting at over 1 million views and I give her props for being brave enough to put this out there...

LarkNews Is Awesome...

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — When Rivercreek Church introduced their newly hired executive pastor last Sunday, the congregation surprised him with a chorus of boos.

"I was startled, but given the economic climate I understand," says executive pastor Bill Evans, a longtime businessman who recently took the job.

Many executive pastors around the country are facing resistance, rumor and outright hostility from laypeople who see the hand of Wall Street reaching into their once-tranquil churches.

"I heard our new executive pastor worked for a Forbes 500 company in his previous career," says one man at a church in Ft. Worth, Texas. "We don’t need a golden parachuter around here."

At Rivercreek, rumors have circulated that Evans ran several companies into the ground, collected huge bonuses and went into church work because no one else would hire him. In fact, Evans left a successful company because he felt called to the ministry.

But many aren’t buying it.

"My first thought was, ‘If they’re hiring more pastors, we must be tithing too much,’" says Tom Rayburn, a member who had never heard the term "executive pastor" and doesn’t like "the Wall Street ring of it."

"If what I’m hearing about his sweet private sector retirement package is correct then he should be paying the church rather than the church paying him," Rayburn says. "I’d like to see our contract with him."

Others suggest that the church only hired an executive pastor because the senior pastor had been overspending and the board was reining him in.

"Why else would they bring in a controller?" says one woman. "We’re all asking ourselves, what did the pastor do wrong?"

One woman at a California church tried to find executive pastors in the Bible. The best she could come up with: Judas Iscariot.

"He handled Jesus’ finances," she says conspiratorially. "What are we to make of that?"

Back at Rivercreek some believe the senior pastor just wants to make himself feel important by "gathering a posse" around himself.

"He was never above balancing the church checkbook and hiring the janitors in the past," says Doris Rogers. "Why pay someone else to do it now except for pride?"

One thing unites them all: a fierce opposition to Wall Street shenanigans.

"I’ve had people come up to me in the foyer and say, ‘Don’t try any of that bailout stuff here, Mr. Executive Pastor,’" says Evans, who plans to lay low for a while. "It’s just not a great time to be an executive pastor."
Source: LarkNews

It should be noted that LarkNews is a fictional news site. The last time I linked an article from there, I assumed that my readers knew that. Oops.

It's made up. And it's hilarious.

Jenkees, man...

Finally...

Hey, kids!

Are you a geek and don't know how to show it?

Then you need the R2-D2 backpack!

This plush, Stars Wars-themed carry all will be sure to let people know that not only do you LOVE Star Wars...you're also completely unafraid to humiliate yourself with an almost-life size replica of Luke's very famous (and helpful) droid!
______________________

Yes, this is goofy.
And yes, my six-year-old is going to lose his mind when he sees this.

Source: BoingBoing Gadgets

I (Heart) BoingBoing...

I know, I know. I keep linking articles from BoingBoing. (And plan to do more...) But I'm constantly amazed at how much cool info they dig up. Found this the other day and thought it was all really cool.
___________
"Meet our new guest blogger, John Hodgman. Here is a brief introduction:

Before he went on television, John Hodgman was a simple writer, expert, and Former Professional Literary Agent living in New York City. In this capacity, he has served as the Humor Editor for the New York Times Magazine, Occasional Public Radio Personality for This American Life, Advice Columnist for McSweeney’s, and a Freelance Journalist specializing in Food, Non-Wine Alcohol, Battlestar Galactica, and most other subjects. This was enough of a career for any human. But then he wrote a book of COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE entitled Areas of My Expertise and was asked to appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he continues to provide commentary as the show’s Resident Expert. Now, at 37, he has unexpectedly become a Famous Minor Television Personality, appearing as the 'PC' in a series of television ads for Apple brand computers, and accepting guest roles as 'the person wearing glasses' in a variety of films and TV shows, including Battlestar Galactica, a show he once wrote about as a journalist. From time to time, he is asked to describe his professional life, and in particular, the effect of this dramatic and surprising change of fortune, and typically, he finds he cannot do it.

His new book, More Information Than You Require, just came out today."

(Image: Jan Cobb)
___________
Source: BoingBoing

A WARNING...

Regular readers know that sometimes my late-night random blog ideas get a bit out of hand. That's when I do what's called a "Dashboard Download."

This is where I look all of my saved blog drafts and post them all in one day.

Well, it's happened again.
Tomorrow will be a Dashboard Download.
If you tend to get freaked out by multiple posts in your blog reader or feel obligated to keep checking back on this site, I encourage to find something to occupy you tomorrow.

The one good thing is that, as Dashboard Downloads go, tomorrow's isn't that bad. Some of you will be able to handle it.

TODD vs. FOOTBALL...the inside scoop!

Why Todd Really Hates Football
by Todd Wright

Alright, this whole football thing tends to really upset folks. While I do play up the whole I-hate-football thing a good bit, it is a fact that I do not enjoy the sport. I don't like watching it, playing it or talking about it.

But my aversion to the game is two-fold and I thought it would be interesting to try to put into words what's really going on with me and football. Check this out...

THE SIMPLE TRUTH
I don't like football. At the most basic, honest level, I just don't enjoy the game at all. Under this "simple truth" I would place both professional and college football. There's no real hate here - I'm just not gonna' enjoy a game all that much.

Now, this would be okay. This would not be that big of a deal. Lots of folks don't like football, right? But when it comes to high school football, that's where I get into trouble. That's where it takes on a whole new level.

WHAT LIES BENEATH
I grew up in Lufkin, Texas. This is a town that idolizes high school football. I've known this my whole life and I've dealt with it. As a kid, I went to games and enjoyed hanging out with my friends and celebrating our school's victory over somebody else. Even then, I wasn't nuts about the game, but it was fine.

And then, the Panthers won the State Championship.

It was the event of the year. Business closed down to attend the playoffs. People painted themselves and took off work and drove for hours to see their boys battle it out on the Gridiron.

That was okay, I guess. I mean, I thought it was a little overboard, but I was smart enough to realize that for the players and their families and friends, this was a huge accomplishment. They had done something great. Something rare and unique and memorable.

And then, they made the phone book. And that's what changed me.

A few months after the champions returned home, the new Lufkin phonebook made arrived. And there on the cover were the coaches and students who had won the big trophy and got their names in the record books.

And I tried to remember the last time I'd seen actual people on the cover of our phone book. Usually, every year included some lovely landscape photo of some historical spot downtown or a mural of Lufkin through the ages or something like that. I couldn't remember seeing any other pictures on our phone book ever.

It started to bug me that we'd cover our phonebook with the football team but no one else. What about the countless teachers in the Lufkin area who, for years, have worked themselves to death to improve thousands of minds and lives and careers throughout the years?

What about the men from one of the three huge factories in Lufkin who were responsible for a robust local economy and workmanship that was respected all over the country?

What about pictures of our sons and daughters serving in the military?

I didn't make me mad that the team made the cover. It made me mad that no one else ever had.

That's when I realized that my mind ran contrary to the crowd when it came to the Panthers. I wasn't mad at them. I was mad at us. It bugged me...so much so that I think it burned into me a disgust for anything that looked remotely like hero worship when it came to high school football.

And in some really weird sense, thinking about high school football tonight reminds me that I am just guilty of idolatry as the next guy. I'm convicted because I know that even though I have no problem with high school football, I'm still really good at giving things priority far beyond what they deserve.

So the next time I rail against the Panthers or the Bearcats or Lobos or Tornadoes, give me some room...because sooner or later I'm going to realize that I'm the chief of sinners.

On Christian Radio...(this post is fourteen pages long)

THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT CHRISTIAN RADIO.

I say that because it would be really easy to read these observations and get the wrong idea.

No, this post is about marketing.

My saving grace here is that I like Christian Radio. I listen to it regularly and have a deep appreciation for those who make it happen.

So before we get to the observations, let me give you a little back-story.

Tyler has a lot of Christian radio stations. At least it seems like a lot to a guy from Lufkin. But without a doubt, the most popular station is KVNE, 89.5.

It's a great station...the DJs know their jobs, they play great music, there's a lot of scripture (which I dig,) and the production level is excellent. Not to mention the fact that their Sunday morning worship show is really great!

A few weeks ago, KVNE and their sister station did one of their two yearly fundraisers. And I have to say I was amazed at what I heard.

The KVNE fundraiser sounded exactly like fundraisers back home in Lufkin. I knew the the Lufkin station had patterned it's fundraising after a station in Houston, but I thought that was just a fluke thing. Then I get to Tyler and the fundraiser sounds the same.

If you'll allow me, let me share with you some observations I had listening to the radio fundraiser. Be warned that I'm going to put down the observations in the most honest way I can, to let you know how it went in my head. I'll try to make sense of all these later in the post.

OBSERVATION #1 - They don't sound like themselves.
Why do Christian radio stations suddenly break every rule they've ever had when it's time to raise money? Seriously, it's like the manager is out of town and they're doing everything they can to destroy the station.

Your station would normally never dream of filling the lobby with 15 people, opening all the doors and running a microphone back there so we can hear the volunteers laughing, talking, answering phones non-stop.

DJs hate dead-air. They normally move smoothly from one thing to the other. But not in a fundraiser! Forgot a paper back in the back...no fear! Just leave the microphone. We'll wait for you!

This first observation really struck me as odd - if you're trying to get people to support what you do, why in the world would you spend 4 days doing everything opposite of what you "normally do"?

OBSERVATION #2 - They want me to come by the station.
Why is "stopping by" such a big deal in these money raising campaigns? The DJs are constantly saying stuff like "Come, see us; WE ARE HAVING A BLAST OVER HERE!"

I got stuff to do, man. Why in the world would I drive to your radio station just to stand around and eat donuts? Is it really fun over there? 'Cause I've got errands to do.

Again...how often does your Christian station normally want you to drive over and have coffee with them?

Probably not very often.

OBSERVATION #3 - SOUND EFFECTS
I believe there is a giant sound effects "machine" in the radio booth. In my mind, it's kept under a lock-and-key all year long until a fundraising campaign comes around. Then, a station manager comes by wearing a long, silver key around his neck. He slowly opens the door to the sound effect machine and steps back quickly as the DJ hungrily descends.

That's how I imagine it, because DJs go crazy with the sound effects in these deals. How come I never hear bleeps and bloops and Homer Simpson zingers and fake applause and the Flintstones all year long? If they're funny now, aren't they funny always?

Lock and key. That's all I'm saying.

OBSERVATION #4 - The Magic Phone
This has to be my favorite consistent thing among stations. The Magic Phone.

The Magic Phone is, essentially, the "last" phone. The station has a set number of lines and the Magic Phone will only ring if all the other lines are busy. It's a way of motivating folks to get on the line and make a donation.

Hearing the magic phone becomes a big deal, as it is such a rare occurence. But when that baby rings, the volunteers in the lobby and the visitors in the studio and the sound effects machine all go nuts.
______________
This entire concept - the complete reversal of normal operating procedure baffles me. To my mind, I would think if you want people to support what you do, then you show them how you do it.

I recently took all these thoughts to work and happened upon a guy named Dan Bolin. Dan is a member at Bethel Bible church. He's also the former station manager of KVNE, 89.5.

So, I took my suspicions to him. I asked him why everybody sounds the same during fundraising; I asked him if it was really a proven marketing move. I ask him if stations are told, taught and given stats to prove that this opposite-mode of promotion works to raise money.

And Dan said, "absolutely."

And that's the part I can't figure out. It is foreign to me. I guess I can partially understand that turning your station upside down gives listeners a peek into the personalities of the DJs - that it would seem more relational.

But beyond that, I still don't see how this wild-and-crazy mode of money-raising works better than just being yourself. Maybe "different' is always good, huh?

How many of you listen to Christian radio? Have you heard any of these things I'm talking about?

SKRIBIT WEEK #7

WHAT DO YOU NOT KNOW?
AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU DON'T KNOW IT?
HOW WILL YOU OVERCOME THIS?

Oh, good grief...now, this is a question. Or three, actually.

Well, Artie, (I love that Artie has a skribit account so I can always see which suggestions are his. Love that!) there are tons of things I don't know. Let me list just a few...

1. How to play the banjo.
2. How to fix a car.
3. How to connect relationally to a whole new church body.
4. How to setup podcasting.
5. How to make time for songwriting.
6. How to go to bed early.

Now, I know that I don't know these things because they are all things that I've tried...and failed.
This is a unique glimpse into my personality.
Unfortunately, I tend to be a guy who walks around thinking,
"I can do this. It's not that hard. I can do this."

Hopefully, I hide this well. Because people who don't hide it usually come off as arrogant, which I can assure is definitely not something I want to see happen.
Because of this confidence, I tend to try a lot of stuff my own.
And usually, I crash and burn.
That's how I know I can't do these things (and lots of others.)

I think there are a few ways to overcome this sort of thing...

First off...research and hard work. The fact is that if I'll make time to educate myself or mentor under somebody who's way better than me, I can learn stuff that will help me.

Secondly...be smart. There are some things in life that I'm going to be able to "get."
And there are some things that are just better left to the professionals.
Learning this difference is a great way I can prevent myself from unnecessary stress.

Third...learn to trust. It shouldn't surprise me that there's stuff I can't do.
But it does.
Remembering and disciplining myself to place my trust in the Father is the only way I'm going to survive some of these things. This is why God's kids tend to respond so strongly to songs and sermons and encouragements about God being our "shield" and "portion."

The fact is that, deep down, we know we're not enough. We know we're drowning in a sea of responsibilities and desires and callings and we simply are not strong enough to survive them.
So we learn to trust and we trust that God will teach us and empower us to do life in a way that honors him.

Why This Movie Is Awesome...

I have a strange history with Superman Returns.

Early on, when I found out the film was in the works, I got really excited about it.

I was born in 1976. That places me squarely in the "child-of-the-80's" crowd. Which means Superman was the baddest cat I had ever seen.

There are lots of us out there - kids who grew up watching Christopher Reeve as the Man Of Steel.

When this new version came out, I didn't get to the theater in time, which was frustrating. However, once it came out on DVD, I couldn't wait to rent it.

And then I didn't watch it.

I'm not sure what happened - I think Kristen and I started watching it and then I had to a meeting at church or something (story of my life.) Unable to really dig into the Bryan Singer's new addition to the Superman mythology, I wasn't able to really decide how I felt about it.

Thankfully, it showed up on HBO or something last week and I recorded that dude! And I think I can safely say that I love this film. It's not perfect by any means, but here's why I think it's great.
1. BRANDON ROUTH
This kid pulled off Clark Kent flawlessly. I guess it could be said that Reeve did it flawlessly and this kid just copied that, but I'm still impressed. I think he mastered both characters masterfully. From vocals to the physicality to the smallest of facial expressions, Routh did a great job in this movie.
2. COMIC CONSISTENCY
I think the recent Batman franchise has done two things for hero movies...first off, it dialed down the silliness of comic book films, adding a more realistic texture to the films. For movies like Batman, that's a great thing. It's added a whole new dimension to that character. But, unfortunately, it's made us suspect of films that stay true to their comic book beginnings. "Superman Returns" does stay true. Every one of the original Superman films was silly - Lex Luthor wore silly clothes; Clark Kent looked exactly like Superman; the one-liners weren't all that funny. But we loved it. And Singer's film stayed true to those qualities. I just hate that so many cynics couldn't see or respect that.
3. SOUNDTRACK
I think one of the smartest things about this movie is its soundtrack. I love that the original scores were recorded with orchestra, and not modernized, looped up and made trendy. (I'm looking at you, Michael Bay...) I mean, come on...is there any cooler music than Superman? And don't say Star Wars. 'Cause it's the same song.

4. SKILLFUL ENDING
The old Superman movies had great endings. They were great because even though you could theorize that a sequel would come, but you were never sure. Superman Returns did that, too. They left lots of room for additional films, but didn't write themselves into a corner, thereby forcing themselves to make one.

SKRIBIT WEEK #6

HOW DID YOU AND KRISTEN MEET?

I had known "of" Kristen for some time. Our dads played music together for years and I was good friends with Kristen's little brother in high school. (We were in a rock band called "Guilt Shifter." We were really, really good.)

I officially "met" Kristen at an event being held at her church in December of 1996. I was asked to perform as the opening act for a guy named Jeffrey Alan Wade who was doing a concert at the church. Part of the gig required me to also sit in as the church's acoustic guitar player.

So, I played in the worship band, played my solo stuff and ended up talking to Kristen for a few minutes during the concert. (Sorry, Jeff...)

After the concert was over, the worship leader ask me to stay on as the acoustic guitar player. So I did. Every week, I'd come to practice just hoping to get to talk to Kristen.

Our first date was in January. Kristen called to see if I'd play guitar for her at this event she was singing. She promised to buy me supper afterward.

Free supper? Bought by a beautiful girl?
Absolutely!

We didn't even eat that night. We just sat in Casa Ole and talked until they closed.
I don't think we ever spent another weekend apart for the next year.

She was (and still is) the most beautiful, funny, charming girl I've met. I had to make her mine!

TYPECAST...

Is it just me or does this guy play the exact same character in every film?

Who are some other actors who suffer from typecasting?

(Don't get me wrong...I enjoy a good Jason Statham heist/fight/redemptive criminal/police/fast-living, high-moral film as much as the next guy. Plus, he could probably kill me with his bare hands. Who am I kidding? This guy could kill me with just one of his hands.)

My Friday...

My Friday...video version! from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

SKRIBIT WEEK #5

WHY DO SOME CONSIDER INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP SERVICES TO BE WRONG?
HOW DO YOU PERSUADE OTHERWISE?

As best as I understand it, churches that prohibit the use of instruments in worship do so in an effort to follow New Testament guidelines.

I must profess ignorance here in that I'm not sure how many denominations follow this practice. Obviously, the most well-known fellowship would be the Churches of Christ. (Anybody know if there are other tribes that follow this thinking?)

What little research I have done has revealed that while the Church of Christ acknowledges the use of instrumentation in Old Testament worship, they also believe that the Old Law and method of worship were abolished in the New Covenant.

Because all New Testament references to worship mention singing-but-not-instruments, the Church of Christ cannot confidently use them in worship. (This is not just a music issue, either. The CoC tends to reject many "man-made" worship practices like creeds or other theologies not directly found in the New Testament.)

You can find a really good explanation and some great thoughts HERE.

As to how to persuade someone who believes something like this, I have very little to offer.
I've had one serious conversation with somebody about this in my life and now that I've looked into the issue a bit more, I've decided that conversation was a bit of joke. (The dude I talked with knew little of the church's policy.)

I think conversations like this are certainly beneficial to learn more about other churches, but they very rarely end up converting anybody to any particular point-of-view.

Tavin...slowly making his way back!

SKRIBIT WEEK #4

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL? AND DOES IT CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE DAY AND WHAT LIES AHEAD?

I love cereal.
But who doesn't, right?

However, I do not have one particular favorite. I can tell you some of the important qualities I look forward to in selecting a breakfast cereal.

1. SWEET
2. SWEET
3. SWEET

No unsweetened bran craziness for me. No way.
Cereal should taste more like a dessert than breakfast. Breakfast is bacon.
This probably explains why I tend to eat cereal at other times in the day.
Nothing's better than a big bowl of cereal before bed.
Or for lunch.
Or in the shower.

Because cereal is so expensive, the Wrights rarely have more than a box or two. Not seven as some people do...

If I had to pick some favorites, I'd go with
Cocoa Pebbles
Golden Grahams
Cookie Crisp

I don't pick cereals based on the day I'm going to have.
Because I sleep until 11 every day.

Steven Speaks...

The folks who manage the ministry of Steven Curtis Chapman have been very firm over the past few months. Short of the "big interviews" (Larry King Live, Good Morning America,) neither the Chapman family nor Steven himself have spoken to the public since the passing of their daughter.

However, Steven just released a new video post to his fans and friends across the world and I thought I'd share it here...



I'm amazed at the physical toll this has taken on Steven. He looks like a completely different man. I still hurt for this family and I encourage you to keep praying for them. As for Steven's return to touring, his staff is still preventing all interviews, meet-and-greets, etc. in order to respect the family's need for privacy.

SKRIBIT WEEK #3

WHY VIMEO?

I've been seeing Vimeo-hosted clips over the past year and they always seemed to look so much better than YouTube.

When I got the Mac for video stuff at church, I was very pleased with how good my videos looked and sounded. However, I noticed that YouTube seemed to consistently drop the quality of my videos. I gave Vimeo and try and I love it.

I'm sure there are a lot of technical reasons why Vimeo clips look so much better, but I don't know any of them.

I just know my stuff looks way better there than on YouTube.
It's not as easy to utilize as YouTube and I'm sure the quality has something to do with the fact that so many more people use YouTube than Vimeo. (I hope it stays that way! If Vimeo blows up, quality might drop...)

REDBELT

I love David Mamet. In fact, The Spanish Prisoner and Heist are two of my favorite movies in the world!

His writing style takes some getting used to, but I think his movies are so engaging and memorable. His other notable works include The Untouchables, Glengary Glen Ross, Wag The Dog, The Unit (TV series,) and tons of other great stuff.

This summer, I realized that I had missed REDBELT...it opened the day after Iron Man, which probably wasn't the most fortunate release date. I caught the trailer online and immediately added it to my Netflix "queue."

I finally watched it Tuesday night and it was riveting.

I'm telling you - this movie is fantastic. It's got all the Mamet trademarks: choppy, realistic dialogue, conspiracy, great pacing and direction of actors. But this film's also got a ton of heart. It's a film about integrity and character in a world infested with greed and self-preservation.

Who would think this cerebral, often borderline neurotic writer/director could take a film about mixed martial arts and turn into an epic statement about sacrifice.

I also thought the fight scenes were so brilliant in this thing...really well thought-out and very realistic.

This may sound silly, but I think REDBELT accomplishes what so many fight films have failed to pull off. If all of that sounds like something you'd dig, I encourage you to check it out.

SKRIBIT WEEK #2

HOW WOULD EXPLAIN YOUR ANGRY WORDS ABOUT FOOTBALL AND YOUR 'HATRED' TOWARDS IT.

Football doesn't make me angry.

But I do hate it.

HAIR

Me, Jonah and Finley play with fake hair...

SKRIBIT WEEK #1

#1.
HOW COULD YOU BEST EXPRESS YOUR SINCERE REGRET AT YOUR HASTY WORDS AIMED AT CYCLISTS?

Um...well, based on the few cyclists I know, I think I'm clear on what I'm supposed to do, NOW.

Apparently, when I approach cyclists on the road , I should stop my car immediately so that these blessed souls can drive wherever and however they prefer.

I also think I'm supposed to get out of my car and applaud them until they are without earshot. (I actually can keep applauding if I prefer, but that part is not required.)

If one of them happens to veer into my lane, I will chastise myself - not him or her.
And if the cyclist's veering causes me to drift into oncoming traffic and I suffer a horrible, horrible crash, I should not expect said cyclist to stop, aid or even glance over at the burning remains of my vehicle.

And if I survive the crash, I'm supposed to sue myself for not giving right away to the cyclists.
It's the law.

One of the things I love about working at Bethel is the obvious passion that my co-workers have for the Word of God.

I've said it before and will say it again. These men and women that I work beside know the Word and find their joy and contentment in study and application.

I'm so honored to attend this conference next April. The Gospel Coalition Conference is going to be jam packed with insight into scripture and I'm really looking forward to it.

You can go here for more information.

My Friday...

I had an official "My Friday" post already to go, but the fact is that Jonah and I did something so cool today that it was a natural replacement for my typical post.

Jonah and I have been thinking/dreaming/plotting a giant Nerf War with his friends. Last night, we added a couple of new guns to our arsenal and decided to break them in today.

After a rousing game of shoot-daddy-with-as-many-darts-as-possible, we decided to get creative.

And this is what happened...


Nerf Battle! from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

We had a blast. Although you'd be surprised at how much footage it takes to make a 1 minute movie!

NO...

While I am appreciative of a certain anonymous (Lance) Skribit poster this week, I've decided to hold off on 'Skribit Friday' this go 'round.

I am going to wait until we have 7 (yes, 7) questions in the Skribit window before I answer them. Waiting on 7 suggestions will allow me to do a whole week of Skribit answers, which sounds like a ton of fun, right?

There's no big reason for doing this. Other than the fact that I really dig the sorts of suggestions that come through here on a regular basis.

I know it will take us awhile to hit 10. Especially considering that we've never had more than 4 at any given time. But that's okay. I can wait!

I encourage you to think up the weirdest, most complex, most thought-provoking questions you can come up with. Lately, there have been lots of moving/Tyler questions...I challenge you to think outside the box - come up with a question that makes me regret ever making this request of you all.

SKRIBIT!

A Survey!

My old high school pal Kandice tagged me in this survey and I am happy to oblige!

1. HOW HAS BLOGGING CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
I'm not sure it's changed my life, but it's certainly given me an outlet for all the small little creative things in my head. It's also helped me to connect and re-connect with lots of folks. I think it's made me a bit more aware of how much people need each other...how important personal relationships are.

2. WHAT DO YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?
Usually, I bathe the kids and put them to bed. (Usually Jonah...) I try to exercise every night. Then shower, then some TV or blogging, then bed.

3. IF YOU COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, WOULD YOU GET MARRIED AGAIN?
Absolutely. Smartest move I ever made.

4. WHAT'S THE CITY OF YOUR DREAMS? WHY?
I'd think some place in Colorado. Of course, I hear California is God's country.

5. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT?
I go back and forth. It's really easy for me to get trapped in my thoughts and lock folks out. But, as most musicians do, I love being in front of folks. Wow...I am a weird dude.

6. DO YOU TRUST EASILY?
I think I'm a pretty good judge of character. I can usually identify folks who are trustworthy or not. And then I respond accordingly!

7. ANYTHING THAT'S MADE YOU UNHAPPY THESE DAYS?
I don't think I've been unhappy recently. The new job is a bit overwhelming. I love doing it, but there are a lot of long-range goals. (See www.worshipnotes.com for running commentary...) The hard part about long-range goals is that you have to wait on results, which is really hard.

8. IS BEING 'TAGGED' FUN?
I love being tagged in these things. However, all of my friends do not enjoy it. Which is sad.

9. WHAT'S THE LAST SONG THAT GOT STUCK IN YOUR HEAD?
"Do Not Be Anxious" - an old Integrity worship tune.

10. WHAT'S YOUR BEST QUALITY?
Dumb question. It's my sexiness.

11. IF YOU HAD A MILLION DOLLARS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Send my kids to college?

12. WHAT'S BETTER? TO GIVE OR RECEIVE?
"Gift-giving" has been declared as one of my "love languages." I love being a giver. In fact, I wish I had more resources so I could give more!

13. WHAT WERE YOUR PARENTS GOING TO NAME YOU IF YOU HAD BEEN THE OPPOSITE GENDER?
I have no idea. I know they got "Todd" from the side of an electrical company truck.

14. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU?
Kandice was one of my good friends in high school. From the very first time I met her, it was obvious that she loved God and sought to serve Him, even in her youth. I lost track of her but we found each other on Facebook. What's strange is that Kandice's husband is actually great friends with Ross Strader, my pastor!

15. FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE?
Freezer. Because it holds the ice cream.

16. WHAT WEBSITE DO YOU VISIT DAILY?
Gmail. Google Reader. YouTube. Facebook.

17. WHAT'S FOR DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT?
Cake! We're partying in Lufkin on Saturday night...

18. NAME A CHARACTER FROM A BOOK THAT YOU'VE CRUSHED ON:
This question is too weird to answer.

19. WHAT DO YOU LIKE FOR BREAKFAST?
BACON.

20. WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TAG?
I'm gonna' tag some folks who I haven't heard from in awhile. Clay Walker, Don Wayne Crager and my wife!

BEACHED

Got this "weird, but awesome" link from The Bloggess. (Who I kinda' have a crush on...)


Beached from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Too cool...

Dedication Fail...

Found this on the Fail Blog.

It's a security tape of a Spanish-speaking DJ who's exemplifies dedication and focus when the pressure's on.

He's also an idiot.

Enjoy...



P.S. - Michael W. Smith is getting SLAMMED in our poll. If you haven't voted, click over to the blog and let us know what you think.

1 Night, 2 Confessionals

YES!

Proof that the Nintendo guys are still the smartest dudes around when it comes to marketing...

Check It...

Source: Double3

Strong...

Saw this on Brody's blog. Had a blast watching it!



Plus, it's got that song that Kanye built off of that sample from two French dudes who dress up like spacemen.

It's 11:50pm.
I need to go to bed.
I have things to do tomorrow.
And yet, I sit here thinking....
Should I watch "The Bank Job"?
This is one of many things wrong with me.

New survey posted at the blog for all you "Readers." Click over and vote!

Okay, Guys...Time To Get Honest

Okay, men.

None of us are exempt. This is a time for honesty. For courage. For authenticity.

In the comment section below, I want you to share with us ONE romantic movie that you enjoyed.

Don't be afraid. Share with us one chick flick that got to you.

You will not be mocked for your participation. In fact, be sure and tell your significant other about your entry on this post and I'm sure you will receive their respect and admiration.

Now, share...

Spence Peppard Is Famous...Seriously

Okay, I recently played a gig with Spence Peppard. I was excited to play alongside him because he's a great talent and a funny guy. (I had seen some of his Facebook stuff and realized that he was quite the showman.)

A few weeks earlier at Bethel, one of my band members asked me if I had ever seen the "Worst Recording Session Ever" on YouTube. I told him that I wasn't familiar and he encouraged me to check it out. Unfortunately I forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago when I was doing the event with Spence, I mentioned that to the aforementioned band member.

"He's from Nacogdoches?" the guy asked.

"Yep."

"Plays guitar"

"Yes," I said.

"Works in a studio?" He smiled.

"I think so."

"That's the guy!"

So, I watched it. And I loved it. Apparently, I am not alone. 275,000 views.

And I want you to be one of them. This is great.

On Biking...

As Kristen and the kids and I drove home to Lufkin on Saturday, we quickly realized that we were traveling the route of the infamous "Pineywoods Purgatory" bike race.

This is a huge bike race the originates in Lufkin and sends brave souls pedaling all over East Texas. Growing up in Lufkin, I've always been aware of the race, but not too familiar with the specifics.

After sharing the road with them, I have a few observations...
Observation #1. Why the heck are they allowed to drive in my lane?
Seriously...I thought bike riders were supposed to ride on the shoulder. Not on this trip, I guess. This was especially fun when I was driving on a two-lane road and kept veering into oncoming traffic simply to avoid striking one of the riders. Anybody know if this is common? Or are these riders supposed to stay on the shoulder and not share lanes with automobiles?
Observation #2. I have no idea where to buy biking clothes.
I'm not saying that all of these riders were from Lufkin, but I do know that many Lufkinites participate in the Pineywoods Purgatory. And I also know that there probably aren't many places to buy tight little shirts and shorts. I mean...how do you go about buying gear like this? Does a dude ride his back in normal t-shirt/shorts for awhile before getting all bike-geared up or are you supposed to get the outfit ready first thing?
Observation #3. I like seeing a chunky brother out there doing his thing.
If there was any upside to riding alongside these folks, it would have to be the frequency with which I saw "husky" gentlemen on this hellish ride. I'll be honest - that warms my heart. As a large man myself, I like to see big men living life to the full. I also lots of ambulances on the road. (These two things may be related...)

So...if you're a biker, help me out. Why do you drive in my lane? Where do you buy clothes? How many fat men have strokes during massive biking marathons?

Props...is back!

"PROPS" is really one of my favorite blog themes to work on. It gives me a chance to brag on people I care about and, hopefully, introduce them to some of you out there who just tend to land here occasionally.

Today's PROPS go to Chris Caraway.

I first met Chris while playing a one-night gig at First Methodist Lufkin. The worship deal was for the youth, but the FUMC praise band wandered in like a bunch of worship junkies.

If I remember correctly, Chris was standing at the back of the group and said,

"You play any Rich Mullins?"

And that's when I knew we were gonna' be friends. So here's why Chris is gets PROPS:

1. He's the most generous, helpful, modest sound engineer I've ever met. There for awhile, I thought all sound guys were required to be jerks...but Chris cured me of that. I also think it helps if your sound guy is a former member of the armed forces.

ME: "Hey, Chris...think you can find a way to mount this video camera in the soundroom and run a direct audio line into from the secondary video sound board?"

CHRIS: "I'll figure something out."

And he does.

2. He's a servant. So far, I've asked Chris to play guitar and bass, sing, run sound, burn CDs and manage a whole host of things that are not glamorous at all. And he has done them all with a great attitude.

3. The CD. Not many folks know this, but Chris Caraway is the reason "All The Freed" came to be. He raised money, encouraged people to support it, listened to all my ideas, helped me make important decisions regarding the record and was my cheerleader throughout the whole process. Sure, he got to eat Freebirds as part of the deal, but I think he mostly did it because he's my friend.

4. He's stepped up. When all the stuff at Bethel Bible started happening, Chris knew about it. He knew it would change everything at First Methodist. He knew it would add distance to our friendship and bring about some transition at our home church, but he supported me the whole time. And then, when I decided to take it, he stepped up to fill my worship leader shoes. Knowing that Chris is there leading that congregation in praise is a great comfort to me as I pursue this new adventure in Tyler that God's called me to.

5. He loves the church. Chris Caraway has been a member of First Methodist for a long-time. He's seen good times and...not-so-good times. But he's been faithful. He has served in countless ways with a fantastic attitude.

Birthday Recap!

Todd's Birthday Recap! from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Edbassmaster needs his own show...

I love Edbassmaster.

My Friday (Photo Edition)

I had every intention of documenting our whole day with pictures. And then I forgot to take pictures.

Well, I eventually remembered, but you'll have to settle for a couple of online jpegs for our morning errands.

Our first stop was to Wal-Mart. Kristen ran in and got some stuff and looked for some replacement bulbs for the tail light on our jeep. (Which I haven't installed yet.)

After Wal-Mart, I visited the fine folks at the Tyler Municipal Court. It seems that they wanted some money from me. Apparently, when I met that nice motorcycle policeman a couple of weeks ago, I incurred some sort of "fine." However, I have to say that the cashiers were really friendly. Seriously...having worked in local government, I know that rudeness is sometimes the M.O. at offices like that, but I was reallly impressed with the lady who helped me.

(I'd like to make a little aside here about how weird downtown Tyler is, but I can quite put my finger on it. It's just...you know...weird.)

After the ticket errand, we drove back into town to eat some lunch. We all went to "Mercado's" for some Tex-Mex. I was impressed because the kids actually ate! (They normally don't eat very much.) We split a sampler meal and got out of there for under $20. That Kristen Wright knows how to manage money, kids.

While driving around, we noticed that gas had dropped a bit. So we got some. I was especially glad that we were getting gas in that particular part of town because I had recently noticed a station that had a very weird sign. I'm not sure what that white line is, but does that look like gas is $13 a gallon to you, too? 'Cause it looks that way to me. And that's I why I took a picture.

Then we headed back downtown to check out the Tyler Library. It was a strange experience. First of all, the librarians were very nice and helpful. And it's a good thing...because we couldn't check out any books. As it turns out, since we live in Flint (which is outside of Tyler city limits, we aren't allowed to check out books. It's a tax issue. I blame Obama.)

However, you can pay for a 'punch' card which allows you to check out books. (And if you get a tenth punch, you get a free Atomic Sub. Wait..that's not right...) So we went ahead and rented some books from the city of Tyler. I was interested in trying to finish up the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan, but the selection was hit-and-miss, so I got a giant book by Terry Goodkind. We'll see.

On the way home, Finley napped while Kristen and Jonah read books and I drove home. I stopped by the convenience store to pick up some M&Ms for our movie night.

Once home, Jonah played, Finley watched Charlie Brown and Kristen played on Facebook.

We made quesadillas for supper, bathed the kids and then settled in for a very special TV night. Tonight, Cartoon Network premiered two brand new series ("Secret Saturdays" and "Clone Wars," both of which Jonah has been anticipating for weeks!)

We made popcorn w/ M&M's and watched Cartoon Network. We put the kids to bed not long after the shows were over. I exercised, Kristen read, I blogged while watching 'Blades of Glory' and then went to bed!