GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

Okay, you all have left so many great comments lately that I had to throw another little survey out there.
IF YOU COULD ONLY ATTEND ONE CONCERT BEFORE YOU DIE, WHO WOULD YOU GO SEE? AND WHY?

By the way, I think I picked an awesome picture for this post.
Yes, that's a band of dudes wearing red shirts and white tail tuxedos.
And if you look closely, you'll find that there's a violin player with a mullet and the drummer is playing electronic drums.
And they appear to be jamming.

#1 On The Wish List...

WOULD I LOOK GOOD IN THESE OR WHAT?

DANCE PARTY!

Jonah wasn't content to let Finley have all the fame for internet dancing, so he made his own. This video started kinda' impromptu in Finley's room, but Jonah BROKE IT DOWN. Enjoy!


Dancing Family from Kristen Wright on Vimeo.

Do What You Can...

A lot of you have probably seen this, but if not, here's a chance to find out what's up and how you can help.

Christmas Wishes

Christmas Wishes from Kristen Wright on Vimeo.

This Warms My Heart...

I can't stop smiling when I watch this...a great video for Thanksgiving.

Y'all Have A Good Thanksgiving...

TWB @ Roots Cafe (Henderson, TX)

GIG RECAP from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Country (Girl)

Country Dance! from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

I'm Still Laughing

I was a very serious young man. I'm not sure why - I think it had something to do with my perception that "artists" were required to be introspective and distant.

And then I met her.

I'll admit that it took me my surprise. When I first met Kristen, I remember being amazed at how funny she was...how much she and her family laughed. She seemed like the silliest, sweetest girl I had ever met. And while it's true that I immediately knew she was the girl for me, it's also true that I also realized that I needed her.

I needed her smile. I needed her joy. I needed to learn how to lighten up and find the fun in life. And she did all of that. Without even trying, she changed me into a better version of myself. I'll never be able to repay her for teaching me how to laugh.

But what's more - every couple of days, I realize that I'M STILL LAUGHING.

She is funnier now than ever. Sillier than she's ever been. And it's obvious to me that the laughter we share now is somehow more funny and rich than it's ever been. After 10 years, we've learned how to laugh together, how to cheer each other up and how to find joy in times where it seems invisible.

I don't know what the future holds, but with Kristen by my side, I know we'll find a way to enjoy it.

Thank you, Kristen, for being you. Thanks for saving me from myself.

SHUFFLE SCARE

I've seen this from time-to-time, but I've never tried it. Clicking "shuffle" in my iTunes is never that fun, simply because I've got songs, recordings of Jonah, loops, song demos, half-finished ideas, etc.

But for the sake of a blog and to see what a 10 song shuffle would say about me, I decided to give it a try!

It offered some pretty interesting tunes. Here are the first 10 songs my iTunes shuffle picked.

1. Taste And See - Paul Baloche

2. Tartuligen - Vasen

3. The Kingdom Of God - Paul Baloche

4. Worry Too Much - Buddy Miller

5. Give Reviving - Chelsey Scott

6. Times Like These - Glen Campbell

7. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2

8. Glorious - Michael Neale

9. You Alone - Michael Gungor Band

10. Long Trip Alone - Dierks Bentley

I had planned to write a cool analytical breakdown of this list showcasing how smart iTunes is.

But as the list grew, I became more and more concerned that my computer knows me on an intimate level and will, one day, kill me in my sleep.

Source: Amazing Grey City

Okay, now it's your turn. Fire up your shuffle (in whatever capacity) and share your list below. Also, what does my list say about me?

Kids TV, Part I (Jonah Edition)

It happens to us all.

If you're a parent, you're going to be watching some television programming for children. Granted, some parents limit their kids' TV intake to a very thin stream. Others pretty much let their kids watch whatever they want, whenever they want.

But unless you're the most strict parent on the planet (or) you have a child that doesn't watch TV, you're gonna' see some of this stuff.

Jonah has always been a TV kid. He's always loved it...and we have to be careful with how much he watches. Here are some of his favorite shows (right now.)

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE

Jonah loves Ben 10. I think were three seasons of the "normal" Ben 10, but now Cartoon Network has created a new version. Ben 10 Alien Force involves the same characters, but takes place 10 years later. At this point, Ben and his pals are older, wiser and more powerful!







THE SECRET SATURDAYS
Jonah got interested in this through Cartoon Network's "cryptid" promotion. The Saturdays are a superhero family that seeks out strange and unusual cryptid creatures around the world. Oh, and they fight evil.








THE MIGHTY B

This show is hilarious. Mainly because of Amy Poehler's fantastic voice work. (Poehler used this voice on SNL for a sketch about a hyperactive pre-teen.) The voice alone is worth thirty minutes of my time...plus I love the simplicity of the animation. In a high-tech world, the Mighty B looks almost like something created in my day.






DRAKE AND JOSH
This show isn't in production anymore, but that doesn't keep Nickelodeon from cashing in on it!

There's some funny stuff on this show, but it tends to make Jonah wild. (Josh tends to yell a lot. Or is it Drake? The one who lost all the weight tends to yell a lot.)

This one can pretty annoying.



STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
I don't know any six year old boy who's not into Clone Wars. Jonah and I caught the movie when it hit theaters. We loved it. Imagine his shock when the new Friday night TV series was unveiled. Watching Clone Wars is fast becoming our Friday night tradition.




iCarly

I love iCarly. It's hilarious. Great characters, great writing, great online presence/sub-culture. I'm partial to Sam. She's awesome.





SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

This one is, by far, the most popular. I don't really have a problem with Spongebob. Sure, sometimes it's a bit crude, but six-year old boys like crude. At least, mine does. Other than that, it's a pretty silly show that can be, occasionally, pretty funny. (I've found that it gets funnier the more you watch it. Lunacy is like that, I think.)

No, my problem is that this show is on ALL THE TIME. Shortly after we got our DVR hooked up, Jonah tried to setup some recording. Being new to the remote, he picked "all" instead of "once." A day-and-a-half later, we had 18 episodes recorded.

18 episodes.

That's too much Spongebob, gang.

_______________________

So, moms and dads....what are YOUR kids watching?

Do you find yourself enjoying THEIR shows?

It's All About The Previews...

Of course, one of the great things about going to the movies is TRAILERS!

There were a few that seemed really interesting.

Of course, the big Star Trek trailer was unveiled, but you can find that almost anywhere now. But these others were pretty new to me...



I read about this remake a month or so ago but had no idea it was coming so quick. This trailer will probably cause me to temporarily suspend my "SAY NO TO KEANU" policy. But how can he mess us up a movie about a giant black alien cloud eating up everything in sight?



Will Smith is box office gold these days. And this one looks really interesting. I love it when a trailer leaves me curious. (Too many of them give too much away.)



Yes, I do believe that Mr. Cruise has gotten a bit weird, lately. But this one does look good...a giant political conspiracy coordinated down to the very last second with a whole host of players/experts in their field? That's almost as good as a heist film, in my book.

On the flip side, if you'd like to watch a movie that further shows us how far the great Samuel L. Jackson has fallen, take a look at this...



And the fall film most destined to be used in church analogies....

GOOD MORNING

URLESQUE

007

Review: Quantum of Solace from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Perchance to dream...

I love to hear people talk about their dreams.

But understand, I'm not talking about "vision." I'm not speaking of when folks tell me their goals and plans for work or family or ministry.

No, I'm talking about those wild, fanciful, crazy ideas that have been in our heads as long as we can remember...those things that we long to do someday.

For some, it's an idea they've carried since childhood. For others, it's something that's recently ignited their passion.

I've got tons of these, but I'll share a few.
1. Create and produce an independent film. 2. Write a book. 3. Have a song published by a major label.

To some of you, those might seem weird dreams to nurture, but they are huge to me!

So, what's yours?

What are some of your crazy, off-the-wall dreams? Share a few with us!

My Weakness...

Donuts.
Can't resist 'em.
What about you?
WHAT'S YOUR WEAKNESS?

SURPRISE

I remember being interested in "The Lookout" awhile back when I caught the trailer. You all know how I feel about heist films, right?

'Cause heist films are awesome.

I was able to catch "The Lookout" last week on TV and I have to say that it really surprised me.

This movie was so much more than I expected - it had more heart and a better story than I imagined.

So, it got me thinking.

What's a movie that pleasantly surprised you?

Trip To The Deer Least...

Trip To The "Deer Least" from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Jonah calls it the "Deer Least." And so, now we all do.

Prayer...

Michael Hyatt offers this great prayer over at his blog. It's a great prayer...definitely the type of thing I want to be praying!

"O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon thy holy will. In every hour of the day reveal thy will to me.

"Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with the firm conviction that thy will governs all.

"In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by thee. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.

"Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day and all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray thou thyself in me. Amen."

Originally composed by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow (1782–1867)

Skribit Friday....

The last few Skribit suggestions have been rather weird. Sorry, all you anonymous submitters but they've kinda' freaked me out a bit. I'm afraid my answers won't quite live up to your expectations, but...here we go anyway!
#1. Virtual Rehearsal.

This is a great idea, but pretty hard to pull off. I'm still trying to figure out who submitted this one. I bet it's one of my Bethel team trying to get on YouTube. Glory-hounds.

If we ever did one, I probably wouldn't do it live, simply because a one-shot production probably wouldn't provide much in the way of resources. If I decided to do a virtual rehearsal, I'd probably shoot it with at least two cameras, then edit w/ some narration mixed in with the live stuff.

It's a cool idea...I'll do one someday, I promise!
#2. Russell Martin leading at FUMC Lufkin.

Wow, this one was strange. Not sure what the questioner was looking for, but my thoughts are:

Um, good for Russell?

I don't know Russell personally, but I did hear that his service in Lufkin went great. (Heard the worship team did a great job.)
#3. The YouTube video with the conservative black guy.

That guy's video got a lot of hits. I watched a couple of minutes of it, but to be honest, I didn't finish it. So I can't really offer anything.

I seem to remember that he was wearing a trendy hat. Most of you know that I have issues with men wearing trendy hats, so that could be part of the reason I turned it off.

#4. Less spike in hair.
Oh, that - I'd like to say that it has been unintentional, but that's not true.

You see, like Samson, I draw my worship leading/songwriting/blogging power from the length of my hair. Up until this point, I've kept my hair short so as to protect the people I love from my Awesomeness.

But since I'm in a new town, I've decided to grow my hair really long, unleashing the full weight and measure of my abilities on the unsuspecting people of Smith County. In the end, its might will kill us all...but it will an amazing sight to see.
Thanks for shooting stuff to Skribit, gang! I love to see this stuff...however, I'd love it if you SIGN IT! You don't have to sign up for a Skribit account or anything; just type your name at the end of your question. Try it...it'll make you feel good.

Keepin' It Real This Holiday Season...

I was telling Jonah some "Christmas stories" from my youth the other day and I started to wonder what would be some of my best Christmas moments.

Like most of you, I've got tons of memories about gifts I received or meals I shared or funny stuff that happened in our family.

But one memory still hangs on with startling clarity.

I was a teenager and old enough to drive. Upon receipt of my driver's license, my dad presented me with a little red truck. I loved that truck. It was the stuff of country songs and folklore - it was freedom.

I can't remember if it was the Christmas immediately following my birthday or the next year, but I remember my parents handing me this big box on Christmas Eve.

I tore into it, my mouth gaping open as I realized what they had given me.

A CD stereo system.

Now, if I was lame, I'd make some sort of stupid joke like, "You know, kids, back in my day, cars didn't come with CD players."

But I am not lame.

I am cool.

Now that gift was great, but that's not the memory. The thing I remember most is what happened when my Dad saw the look in my eyes.

He got up from his comfortable chair, threw on his boots and led me outside where we installed that CD player and speakers that very night.

It was a complicated process and luckily, I was only responsible for handing him stuff. (Some things never change...) But we worked into the night to get it all hooked up and finally, I popped in my brand new Mortal disc and cranked it for all it was worth.

I'll never forget the fact that my very tired father went out of his way to do something so generous for me. I'll always appreciate my dad for that.

Now, it's your turn. Take a second and share one of your best Christmas stories in the comment section below!

Thanks to Ross, I heard about gmail's new video chat feature a few days ago. I made a mental note to give it a try, but then got sick early in the week and didn't spend much time on the computer.

I was feeling better on Wednesday and did some work from home. Wednesday afternoon, I signed into gmail and saw a cool little green camera icon beside my buddy Tom's gmail chat status.

Well, I had to give it a try! I chatted w/ Tom right quick to see if he was all setup. He was finishing up, so I installed the chat feature as quick as I could. After about 5 or 6 minutes, I signed back into gmail and video chatted w/ Tom.

It was great! We're looking forward to using this to stay in touch with some of our family and friends. Although my experience with the video chatting feature is limited, I do think it provides easy-to-use, quality video chatting capabilities to PC users. Mac users all brag on iChat...and it is good, but now there's a fantastic video chatting option for anybody!

If you're on gmail and have a webcam, sign up...then you can all chat with me in my pajamas.

Thanks, Ross and Tom! You guys know so much cool stuff!

On Rain...

It rained pretty hard on Tuesday.

Krist, Jonah and I carried Finley to school before dropping off Jonah and Mom at Bible Study.

And as I toted my daughter across the parking lot in her pink rain coat while I got drenched, I had this thought....

"Why is rain the man's thing?"

Think about it, guys. Chances are that if you're with a significant other and it's raining, there's some unwritten rule that it's YOUR job to get out of the car. (To get the mail, pick up the kids, buy a few things from the store, pay for gas, etc.)

I guess it's a nobility thing...the man makes the sacrifice for those he loves.

Plus, a guy who's afraid to get wet is just kind of pathetic, isn't it?

(But it IS okay if that guy cringes every time he glances lightning in the sky, Kristen.)

I need to stop watching StormChasers.

Who's Your Best Bad Bond...

I am not a die-hard James Bond fan...so please please please do not fill the comment thread with ridiculous trivia about the long lineage of actors to play 007, both worthy and not.

However, there are a few things I believe about the James Bond franchise.

First, Daniel Craig has saved the James Bond empire...and secondly...it's about time.

This happened because of two very very bad back-to-back Bonds - Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.

I understand that I'm presupposing that you agree with me that both of these casting choices were unfortunate and it's that supposition that fuels this question to you all:

WHO WAS THE WORST BOND?

OBAMA

2009...or so they say!

This is the part where music purists mock me.

But I don't care.

THIS excites me!

More Brilliance from The Bloggess..

Two back-to-back tweets from the funniest woman on the web.

"Don't shoot me but I'm suddenly finding Republicans kinda sexy. They're a bit broken and unshaven and rebel-without-a-cause-ish."

AND

"Republicans are like the new loner goth. But with less vampire teeth and more disillusionment."

CAPTION CONTEST

OLD FRIEND / NEW SITE

I'm so happy to announce the brand new website of my friend, Forrest.

forrestlayton.com is a great new site that journals Forrest's journey as a musician.

Forrest is currently writing and recording songs for the SXSW festival in Austin and I think his stuff sounds great. I've always loved Forrest's instrumental stuff and I think you will, too.

Go check out the songs and subscribe to Forrest's blog as he documents this new journey in his life!

BRO. LOU Remix...

About two weeks into our arrival to Tyler, my buddy Chris posted THIS BLOG.

Chris works in Tyler from time-to-time and he called me shortly after his "Bro. Lou" sighting. He asked me if I knew who this guy was...I said no.

We had a good laugh about it...mostly about how long it took Chris to import a picture from his phone into his blog, but the most fun was trying to guess where "Bro. Lou" went to church. (I have pretty good Denominational Vision...I can usually guess a person's denomination within a two-minute span.) Having no direct experience w/ Bro. Lou, I wasn't able to make a guess, but it made for a very fun phone call. Well, fun for two nerds like me and Chris. Chris, a good Methodist, made all sorts of guesses - mostly in the charismatic vein, I believe.

And then, it happened.

A few nights ago, I'm driving through the great town of Gresham, TX (just down the road from our house) and he passes me.

Yes. Bro. Lou, himself.

I started shouting "That's Bro. Lou! Oh my gosh! Bro. Lou! That's him...I gotta' call Chris."

My wife is used to these outbursts, but she still looked at me with a disgusted will-you-shut-up face. Par for the course.

And just as I'm about to call Chris, Bro. Lou puts on his blinker. To turn into a church.

Lane's Chapel United Methodist Church.

A Methodist...can you believe that?

Therefore, I am creating the Bro. Lou Club. If you are in the Tyler area and you experience a Bro. Lou sighting, you must contact me. You can comment randomly on a blog post, email me (toddwrightband@gmail.com) or even call me. (If you're lucky enough to have my number, yo.)

Let's be on the lookout for this mysterious Smith County creature, Tyler-ites. It'll be fun!

By the way...if you know Bro. Lou, please let me know! I'd love to meet him!

My Favorite Blogger...

Some say I'm a blogging addict.
Some say I'm totally handsome and cool.
(I wholeheartedly agree with both statements.)

Sure, I love this guy and this gal and this guy and this gal,
but the truth is that my favorite blogs are the ones written by people I know.

That's right, gang - nothing brings me more joy than seeing YOUR post in my blog reader.
And of all of those...one blog stands out as my favorite.

I LOVE my wife's blog. I miss it.
Listen, being a Mom is a hard job. All of us know this.
And blogging is often the last on her list of duties or hobbies.
But if you're like me and you miss my wife's blog, then email her at dorothy_girl74@yahoo.com.

Listen - I don't want her flooded with emails from well-wishers who are just doing what I ask. (Although, I would love to have that kind of power...)
But if you do like the way my wife thinks, writes, laugh or looks (easy, now...) then send her an email.
And be sure to end your email message with
"YOUR BLOG IS BETTER THAN TODD'S." She loves that.

WE MUST CARRY ON AS ONE

BIG NEWS!

Sorry for the bad lighting in the video - I shot this in a corner of my office and it was way too dark. Tried to fix it w/ some brightness editing, but just made it look like my office is filled with cigar smoke.

Still A Tough Guy...

This looks really good!

A Special Birthday Video!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROMACK!

Check him out HERE.

#11. Thou Shalt Not Use Caps Lock

Source: BoingBoing Gadgets

DEPRESSED IN SECONDS

I've made no secret of my love for the Discovery Channel's new show DESTROYED IN SECONDS.

Add this, of course, to my love for Discovery's CASH CAB, DIRTY JOBS, MYTHBUSTERS and a new favorite for Jonah and me - STORM CHASERS!

But one thing bothers me. This show is different because I never know what the recap is gonna' be for these little segments. Discovery is way more graphic than other shows of the same type. In this show, it's a little too often I'm hearing stuff like:

"Sadly, five people died when the crane fell 42 stories and landed on a church/orphanage." "All seventeen jets then exploded in the parking lot, incinerating everything inside the PetSmart, including the live animals."

Maybe I should stick to watching Mike Rowe wade through muck. That's way less depressing.
After spending time at the Discovery channel website grabbing some links, I've decided they are the greatest channel in the world. How can you not love this line up?
1. A Haunting
2. Cash Cab
3. Deadliest Catch
4. Destroyed In Seconds
5. Dirty Jobs
6. Iditarod
7. Koppel: The Last Lynching (okay...don't know anything about this one. Sounds horrible, though.)
8. Man Vs. Wild
9. Mythbusters
10. Planet Earth
11. Prototype This!
12. Shark Week
13. Survivorman
14. Time Warp
Why don't they just call this "the-channel-that-dads-will-like"?

What's your best channel? What keeps you up way too late watching TV? (Blake, DO NOT say "The Hills.")

Kristen Loves The Ink...

It was only a matter of time before my wife turned her simple love of tattoos into full-blown icon status.

Great job, Kristen. We're so proud of you.

The kids and I will miss you.

Made with Photofunia, one more great link provided by Lifehacker.
Get over there and start having some fun!

FOR LANCE BURCH...

Source: MichaelMcMinn

DON'T HATE...you know we look good!