It is Finished

2012 has come to a close... It's been a year of transition.  I changed my full time job (I didn't leave the Ex, I just changed assignments.. read a little about it here). I have learned new things and used a completely different skill set.  It has been great to exercise a new part of my brain and light up some new neural synapses.  I do station visits, I have some audit functions, but the biggest and hardest part of the job is recruiting seasonal drivers for "peak"...or Christmas deliveries.. I'm away from home a lot, but I think Donna likes the peace and quiet.  Our relationship is very good as we skype a lot and stay in touch via txt and phone calls.  So far, this has been very good.


 The evening service called "Mosaic" at Perritte Memorial Methodist Church came to an end.  I lead worship there for 2 years. The service had great people that have expended a large amount of energy to try and reach  a new group of people in Nacogdoches but it never got momentum.  I miss those good people but fortunately I'm friends with most of them on facebook.

My son Austin moved out of the house and got 2 part time jobs in the Webster Tx area.  I stay with him when I work in Houston.  Early in the mornings he is a package handler at the Ex and on weekends he works concessions at Kemah Boardwalk.

He really seems to be enjoying his new jobs and he loves NOT being in Lufkin.  There is a Chipotle' just a couple of blocks from his apartment and he loves living in that area with so much to see and do.

My oldest brother Richard passed away this year, and my family asked me to perform the service.  It was hard in a way but it was also a great blessing to talk about my oldest brother and laugh and cry with my family about him and his life.  My relationship was not always good with Richard but I was so glad that I had seen and talked to him a few times in his last months and in his last day he called me a hardhead and we told each other "I love you".  It was a good day even though it was his last.

Finally, as of midnight, December 31st 2012, I will no longer be a pastor at First Christian Church in Lufkin, Tx.  The new job I have requires full time travel.  I work in Houston when I'm not working in Lake Charles or Victoria or Corpus or Brownsville or Laredo or Uvalde or wherever else the company needs me.  This travel and the new responsibilities pull me away from my congregation and prevent me from fulfilling my call as pastor to this congregation.  It was a very hard decision but it's the right one.  I thought I could make it all work but I could  not.  Sunday was my last service and we did a little extra music.  It was a fun morning and I enjoyed being at the table for the last time.  You can go to church again here if you want.. :-)

2012 was kind of a hard year... I look forward to 2013 and what it has in store.  Hannah's graduation and what she will do after... Austin's work (he's already been told he'll go to full time at Kemah in February), weekends with my bride.  Donna and I looked back and realized that for the last 14+ years since we started Upward Basketball at FUMC Lufkin and we both started working in church services doing various things, we have been working 6 and 7 days a week for all those years.  Since I travel so much I will value some free weekends with my honey.  We're going to the Cotton Bowl to watch the Aggies beat the hell outta o.u. and we will celebrate our 29th anniversary a couple of weeks later.  We are still very young at heart and love being together.

Adios 2012...  2013 has lots to offer, but most of all.. as Jimmy Buffett says.  I Love the Now!

Ecclesiastes 3

¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

Peace...

The end of a long chapter...

Well today should be my last day at the Lufkin station of a small package delivery company that used to be called RPS. I can't use the actual name as the corporate folks are picky as to when and where their name is used and I get that. Most of you know who I'm talking about because I affectionately call it "The Ex".

I got here 14 years and 10 months ago. There were 7 routes and there was one package handler that unloaded the trailer and one that looked up bad addresses. A part time service manager that did check-in and myself. I had been a special assignment manager in Shreveport for several months so I had an idea as to what I was getting in to.. but I really didn't. This was a small small station. I unloaded the trailer my first day here as the normal package handler quit while the building was without a manager.

That was just the first in a long line of many things that comprise my life as "terminal manager" or "station manager" as we now call it here in Lufkin.

I've delivered routes..some for months while I was looking for and recruiting drivers and running the building. There were days I unloaded, delivered, loaded the outbound packages in the evening and dispatched the linehaul driver. Let's just say "chief cook and bottle washer" was a very appropriate title.

I've worked with many people. Some drove me crazy and I had very stressful and unhealthy relationships with them (cleaning out my desk and finding the zantak and other digestive meds in my drawer reminds me of the times when this place was much more stressful).

I was pushed to my limits many times here, for the hours I worked and the energy and life it took from me. I poured my heart and soul in to this place for a long time. I treated it as if it were my own business.

Through all the challenges and stresses I new I needed something bigger in my life. There were times I would go by FUMC's prayer room early early in the morning before going to work to try and find something I didn't have. I knew I couldn't do it alone. We later plugged in to church there and then later we started Upward Basketball here in Lufkin. That changed my life and how I dealt with people and with things.

I gave people I had experienced major fall outs with a second chance. I forgave and laid down huge burdens. I became a minister to the staff I had here at work. I encouraged them spiritually but mostly I listened and tried to help the best I could. I love these people. I'm going to miss working with them every day. I've sponsored a couple of them on the Walk to Emmaus and some I've just been here for when they needed an ear or some advice.

I've learned a great deal here. Treat people how you want them to perform. If you want them to be winners, treat them like winners. Recognize in public and criticize in private. Anger is a tool.. it should not be an emotion in the workplace. If you let anger rule you then you have lost your effectiveness. Diversity is an amazing blessing. It's not easy I assure you but you have the most creative answers through a diverse work group. Love your people. Be a servant leader. I'm not perfect nor will I ever be and I have stood up in front of my entire team and apologized before when I was wrong in the way I've done something or how I treated someone. (I think I was actually wrong once.. just kidding ;-) )

We had 7 vans all inside our building when I got here. We now have 24 trucks that hit the street every day. We have added 3 modular docks on to the back of the building to handle the additional trucks. We had 1 package handler and 1 PT svc manager when I got here. We have 14 package handlers, 1 service manager, 1 pick up and delivery coordinator and 4 administrative personnel. We have had 2 name changes since I got here and I've had 6 or 7 bosses in that time.

I'm taking on new responsibilities. It's not a promotion. I am simply doing something else. In fact it is actually 1 grade lower than my current pay grade but my pay will be the same. I've made some decisions in my life. They are impacting me now and I'm ok with that. When I got to Lufkin, I planned to be here 18 months and move on up to bigger and better things. We then found community and we put down roots. I wanted a stable life for my children. I wanted them to grow up and graduate here. My wife and I have strong ties of faith and friends here and we really didn't want to go either but I have a Gypsy bone in me that I'm sure I got from my dad. I have been restless. I stayed for the kids but once they got out of school I tried to get some promotions but the jobs I was applying for went to younger folks.. or people with "big building" experience. I passed on those things earlier in my career for my kids. I have no issues or animosity regarding the path I chose. I love where I am and I love where I'm going.

My new job will require me to work in Houston mostly but I will have stations from Lake Charles down to Brownsville. We are not moving as my wife loves her church ladies and does not want to leave the support and fellowship she gets from those wonderful "chicks". I'll work out something in Houston and come home on the weekends. I still have my work at FCC Lufkin to do. I am also continuing as worship leader at Perritte Memorial UMC's Mosaic service. I want to keep working on those responsibilities as that is my calling right now. But I'll have to figure out a living situation. My boy is looking to find a job in Houston so maybe we can share an apt as we live in to this thing.. I may be staying with family while I'm down there. Maybe I can find a bedroom to rent from someone. It will work itself out.

I feel I will end up back in Lufkin with a full time job some day. I believe that is my future, but you never know what might happen. I hope that my future is at FCC Lufkin but I've got to get kids employed/out of college and bills paid off before that can happen. And you never know what God has in store for you as you walk down the path of life. I never thought I'd be here this long... but I'm thankful that I have been. I really don't know what lies ahead but I'm thankful for the opportunity that God and the Ex has given me. It will be hard not doing the same thing I've done for the last 15 years.. I will miss these people I've been working with for so long. I've hired or supervised the hiring of every person in this building. This place is a big part of me and I have been blessed by all those here. I hope that I am a big part of this building as well. I hope that what I have brought here and left here will give these people wings to fly on and the power and direction to achieve whatever it is they want to do in life. I love them and I want nothing but the best for them. I will see them again down the road...but our daily routine is forever changed as of today.

I've packed my office and put it in the car. All that is left is finishing out the day today. I have Friday off and I hope to have a nice weekend with my wife away from it all. Monday I will report to work in Houston. I'm anxious about that and I'm sure I will miss my 3 mile drive to and from work. I'm also excited and have great anticipation about what is down the road. I hope in all of this that my faith grows stronger and my relationship with God and with my family is made better.

Let's turn the page...

Hello again everyone..

My name is Artie Anderson.. I'm 49 years old..I work for a fortune 100 transportation company and I'm also an associate pastor at First Christian Church in Lufkin Tx and I lead contemporary worship..

Ok, so I've been gone a while. Life has been a little stressful..crazy..depressing at times...joyful at times but this has been one of the most eventful seasons in my life over the last few months and I didn't have the time, energy or desire to blog. Facebook and twitter are my outlets most of the time but I would still like to keep this avenue open for communications that are a little more involved..

I don't want to make this too long.. and Lord knows I can but I'd like to recap the last few months.

Hannah graduated

I had to fire someone that I hired over 10 years ago and cared a great deal about

I was very anxious about my own work situation because of what had gone on with my employee

A friend of mine had that female surgery and experienced some very bad things..got very sick..

My wife had that female surgery... I was of course very anxious about what was going on with her because of what had happened to my friend. (She is doing very well by the way)

I found out that 2 of my closest friends and confidants were going to leave my church and become pastors in other churches

I had to take my baby girl to TCU to start her college career

We had a big send off ceremony for my two friends/co-pastors/

I'm a guy that is not afraid to cry..I find it healthy and cleansing for me...I'm also a big baby and can't help it.

It's strange...I've been very guarded during this time... not on purpose.. I just haven't been weepy.. that's weird for me. Hope I'm not getting old and crusty..

I haven't been very good about my eating during this time..too much stress. Donna is making me get back now.

Fortunately I haven't gained back too much.. a visit to my Dr. let me find out that I was still lighter than when I started this a while back.

I won't be as rigid as before but I've got to get back on the program. I have things I want to do and enjoy doing.

This isn't a blog about dieting but food is a part of all that we do. I hope I don't let it control me.

I'll share more about more as time goes on..

Going shopping for a birthday gift for my son... it won't be too big.. he did get this because of the cash for clunkers program.

Peace folks..

Boxes....Boxes....Boxes....

Hey folks... it's that time of year that many of you like to call Christmas... for people like Kathy Dunn or others that are very intimately tied to the church calendar... it's advent. Many have other holidays around this time of year from Hanukkah to Kwanzaa.. People in my business call it PEAK.

This is not a post on theology... This is not a post on faith...

This is post regarding the fact that I get very frustrated this time of year as my full time job gets very very busy in the business of delivering lots and lots of boxes.

We have to hire extra people.. they all don't do such a great job all the time..this requires lots of conference calls..and discussions about action plans to do better and people telling me when I must be on calls on weekends.. ugh..

Most of you are planning parties or enveloping yourselves in the atmosphere of anticipation and waiting for our coming King or celebrations of family and friends.. I have to force some of this in to what is the busiest time of year for me in my industry..the transportation industry.. along with what is a pretty busy time of year in the religious business.. you know.. special musical events, Christmas eve services, Christmas parties that fall on days when you really think you should be practicing music for the coming Sunday, Christmas parties falling on days when you wish you could just go home and go in to a coma, Christmas parties that are taking place while you know that many of your employees are working 14-15+ hour days to make sure you get that present you ordered.

I want to have a festive spirit but in the back of my mind I'm always wondering if there is service failures happening and am I going to be on some conference call tomorrow to explain why we didn't do as well as we should..

I look forward to the day when package pressure will mean..well... nothing..I can't think of anything funny to put there. I'll be glad when I don't have to worry about another peak and my full time job will be planning special Christmas music and going to Christmas parties and being part of Christmas eve services..

I say all that to say this.. I doubt you will see another post until after December 25th 2008..I hope to have a Christmas post.. but if you want to see what's up in my life just watch my updates on facebook or twitter (which is what drives my facebook updates anyway). Grace and peace to you all...

Catching you up...

I hope I don't make this too long but here's what's been up lately..

Friday Octoboer 17th.. drive to Conroe to do some work around my in-laws house.. almost hit a deer and scared the crap out of everyone.

Saturday October 18th.. Clean out my wife's aunt's house and get stuff for the 2nd "Send Hannah to Rome" garage sale (see pic of truck for our spoils).

Sunday October 19th.. Breif worship confessional..

Rain Down

To Every Nation

You Never Let Go

Communion-Come Ye Sinners

Went home, ate lunch, took a nap, drove to Fort Worth...Hannah did most of the driving on this trip..


, ate at Uncle Julio's with Donna, Hannah and Katie Anderson.. yeah. a table full of Andersons... but not all mine.

Monday October 20th.. Spent the morning hanging out with Katie on the TCU campus as she showed us around. Ate Lunch at Fuzzies and saw Nikolee Beyers (our super awesome student intern from last summer).

Saw Aaron Marez that morning too and he did our orientation meeting.. that was cool.

Hung out around the college of communications that afternoon and took a tour and saw Brittany Brookshire Adams.. she gave us all big hugs and we hugged her back and she introduced Hannah to her class.. that was cool. Also looked around the radio, TV, film department and that's where Hannah would like to study.. heck so would I.. looked pretty fun.

Drove back to Lufkin then drove (by myself) to Waco to do Fortune 100 transportation work.. hit a deer east of Marlin. No one hurt.. including the deer I think.. the PT Cruiser got a little damage though.

Tuesday Oct 21st.. Worked in Waco, age at Rudy's that night. Stopped at Sonic and got a sonic blast.. shot the last needed video I have to do to complete my half of the Todd and Artie eats video.. now if I could just get time to put it all on a CD and ship it to you.

Wednesday Oct 22nd.. worked in Waco that morning and drove back to rehearse for drug court entertainment.

Thursday Oct 23rd.. Worked that day then did entertainment for Judge White's drug court and drug court graduation at our Fellowship Hall. We did:

Unclouded Day

I'll Fly Away

Everything (Caraway, Anderson, et. al.)

The Road to Recovery (Muchow)

Friday Oct 24th Worked and went to the first half of the LP/University Park game (the half with no score).

Saturday Oct 25th Learned "Audience of One" by Big Daddy Weave and "Give me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. Cleaned House..moved all of Hannah's garage sale stuff out of the guest room in to the "media room" (that's a future name for what is now a junk room). Did laundry, practiced Audience of One with Shawn Reith. Hung out with Cory Glover and many of his friends who came in for his Ordination that occured Sunday night. Tell him he needs to blog. Went home early because I had to get up early for church..

Sunday Oct 26th.. video worship confessional and more..

Yes.. our wallpaper is coming off the wall in our bedroom... we'll be fixing that some day soon.

And that's a PBJ..yes I ate it right after shooting that vid.

Oh and by the way. We had myself on Acoustic Guitar and Amanda Hutchinson on bass..that was our whole band.. We had several singers and thank you Scott Skelton, Tara Watson, Bill Malnar and Tina Peavey for being there along with Amanda..

You can see the video of Cory's ordination here.

Monday Oct 27th..worked that day and vegged that night..watched some dvr'd shows and ate and skipped bible study.. I was too worn out. Forgive me.

Tuesday Oct 28th..worked at you know where that day and that night planned, scanned and e-mailed music for the next couple of weeks. I have even updated my sidebar here on my blog with the music that is planned for the next few weeks. I also went to the Goodiers to get more garage sale stuff for Hannah. I plan to head to the Tyson's Thursday and get their offerings to the Rome trip.

OK, my hands are cramping.. I think that's enough.

My Friday...

...had to be deleted because I do not have permission to utilize the brand, emblem, name or image of the company I work with in postings to the internet.

Sorry about that.

Pretty amazing though. I post the video on Friday night on Youtube and on Monday morning I'm getting a call from my boss as to why I'm posting stuff about our company on Youtube. Wow.

1984

Tuesdays

I'm beginning to think that Tuesdays are jinxed...

Last week..well you can read it here AND here.

Yesterday... Up early as I have someone on vacation so I need to be to the office earlier to help with check-out.. get there around 0600 plus we had poor service on Monday so I have to be on an 0700 conference call..it went on forever.

The rest of the day? Just seemed to be awkward and exhausting. Ran home and ate a late lunch then drove to Garrison to investigate a complaint..then drove back. My truck has no A/C so it was hot...Called the customer regarding the complaint and then he says he was just trying to let us know what we needed to know to deliver it to the right place. Why did customer service name this message a complaint??

Put all the paperwork together and respond to the complaint and fax it to the region.

At 6:15 I get a call from our "One Call" department. We had a few shipments that didn't make the trailer the night before. The customer service agent who called was so nice when she said.."I'm about to be so mean to you" It was funny. She said there was a pkg on our trailer that needed to be in Waco by 10:00 a.m. at a Doctors office so a child with a spinal deformity could be fitted with a neck brace and go to camp...

I told her to communicate with Express as to when their trailer leaves and I'd go find the package and drive it to Nacogdoches. I think she was a little surprised at my willingness and positive attitude but a kid going to camp??? What else could I do??

I go dig around in our trailer for a few minutes and find the package. I give her a call and she gives me the info I need to take it to Express. I run it up there with 15 minutes to spare before the trailer left. I head back home.. with 1/16th of a tank of gas left in my hot Dodge pick-up. I stop in Nac and give a gas station almost $90 bucks and fill up my truck. I get back and organize my office a little, pack my stuff and get home just a little before 7:30 p.m.

A long hard day....then Donna has me going through spreadsheets to verify numbers regarding stuff for her work at LISD. We order Pizza and I pour myself a tall cold diet coke and watch some TiVo Law & Order and I shut down for the night... I'll put my music together Wednesday at work.

I'm not complaining.. I'm blessed to have this job and to be able to do the things I do.. but two Tuesdays in a row??? I hope a pattern is not developing.

Friday May 23rd

Was a long hard day. It started at 5:30 this morning (after getting home from an Astro's game last night around 11:30..more on that at another time). I hit the snooze a couple of times and then finally drug my sleepy self out of bed washed the sleep out of my eyes took care of other normal morning duties and responsibilities, pulled out my jeans (because it is blue jean Friday at work for those who made donations to United Way.. and my whole team does it because my management and admin folks area truly great folks) and my FedEx golf shirt, got dressed and headed for ... La Unica. I picked up a pile of breakfast burritos for a meeting I was having this morning. I got to the office around 6:30 a.m. and pulled out the TV and DVD player, the overhead projector and the projection screen. I had all the food set out, the presentation equipment and materials ready to go by 0700. I walked around and talked to some of the folks that were there. Oldfart (who is still working for me) told me about seeing me on TV last night while watching the Astro's game. I visited with a couple of other employees, contractors and drivers and then started on some morning reports. I didn't finish because it was time to get this meeting going. It was about 7:15 so I sent a text to all my contractors reminding them of the meeting in 15 minutes.

Took a walk around the dock 10 minutes later and tried to get everyone in. I made the presentation and reviewed the "settlement enhancements" the contractors were getting in the new fiscal year that begins in June. It took about 3o minutes to present and cover questions. Big thing #1 done.

Worked the dispatch window for about 30 minutes and then went and put my morning reports together and sent them off to the region. Took a glance at my blog and blog friends and then it was time to do a performance review.

It was time for one of my employees and I to sit down and do her performance review. I know most employees have anxiety about reviews but when I'm being reviewed I'm usually pretty calm. Doing reviews with my people is usually pretty much a snap. They all know what to do and do it well. I still like to review their areas of responsibility and critique things to help them grow. That takes some time and energy. We were done with that after 30 minutes or so and so she went home.. Now it's time to go through our HR manual and look at all the charts and guides to see what I can do regarding a merit increase. Fill out the paperwork copy the stuff and Express it to the region office. #2 and #3 done.

Cleared my desk of a few days of forms and reports and filed them. I pulled together a few things, checked my fantasy baseball team, e-mails, etc. #3.5

I had one more major thing I had to do today. I never like these things. It is an admission of failure in my part and it has significant negative impact on another human being. I have to pull all the paperwork for review and discussion. I also have to type up a mandatory form letter that the legal department has laid out for us to use. I get all that prepared and now I wait.

I've got several hours before I can address the issue. I head to the house and the TV is on. I don't pay attention to what's on the tube. I go make a turkey and cheese sandwich and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I sit down and realize it's the end of "Wyatt Earp". I've never seen it but know the story well enough from watching "Tombstone" that I know what it is. I eat my lunch and then one of my favorite movies "Hunt for Red October" (and one of my favorite books too) is coming on. I finish lunch and am watching it and doze off. I get awakened by my son busting through the front door with food from "Sam's" and asks me to help bring it in. He had been helping his mom with grocery shopping this afternoon.

I'm fully groggy with heart pounding now so I might as well go back to work. All I can do is wait until he returns to the building from the route.

#4 Another very energy draining event. He is sad and disturbed but he knew it was going to happen too. He admitted he had done it to himself. He's quiet and somber. I don't feel guilty as I always over communicate to all if there is any possibility that they may be getting in to trouble. I still empathize with what is happening. I'm concerned about their future. I do try to pastor to people in these moments but it is hard. This was a calm meeting but still draining.

#5 Then the paperwork. Documentation of the event. Processing in our on line system. E-mails sent to the appropriate company officials. I finally left the office around 6:50.

It was a long hard day.. time for a margarita at Cheddars where I saw Katie Anderson. It's always a joy to see her.

Oldfart prayed for me regarding what was happening today. I think..no I'm pretty sure it helped. Praying always helps. Pray for the person I had to deal with this afternoon as well. I will be.

Todd, perhaps you can see why I didn't want to do my "tagged" today. This "5" things I must do today wasn't very fun. I hope to get to it tomorrow.

Sabbath

Sabbath, it is something that a bi-vocational or volunteer servant in the church may ignore if we are not careful. Heck, I know pastors that are full time pastors that struggle with sabbath. Sabbath is necessary. It's the way we were made. God gave us the sabbath to rest, recuperate, worship, disconnect, reconnect. There are plenty of people I know that have a hard time actually taking a sabbath. They feel guilty or useless if they are not doing something, if they are not working.

I get accused of this because of my addiction to the crackberry I carry. It belongs to FedEx but I keep it with me all the time. It's my cell phone that connects me to friends, family, church as well as FedEx. It also has e-mail capabilities and I get over 100 e-mails a day. When I used to go on vacation it would take me 2 days just to get caught up on my e-mails. I would send e-mails to friends when I got back from vacation telling them things like "deleted 727 e-mails this morning". They would do the same. Now when I go on vacation I can manage my e-mails while I'm travelling and forward them to staff for action and delete the ones I don't need on a daily basis. When I get back to work, I'm current. This actually gives me more peace than setting it aside and having to deal with 700+ emails when I get back...so I am not addicted to work. I know the value of sabbath. I also know the value of not getting run over by a train...which is what work used to feel like on my first day back from vacation.

The family took a vacation in the middle of March, during spring break, and took a cruise. It was a wonderful time. It was the last time I have been able to fully disengage. Before that? Early January... You see with my responsibilities at church and at FedEx I have very busy days and very busy evenings most days too. Sunday starts early to get ready for our early contemporary worship service. I also have traditional worship at 11:00 and then I'm usually back to the church around 4:00 to get set up and practice and perform music for youth on Sunday night. Usually get done Sunday night around 8:00 p.m. Do I worship during that time? You bet! I worship while I'm at FedEx too! I tried to do all things as though I am doing them for Christ. In fact I do all things for Christ.. but is it sabbath? No. So, is Sunday sabbath for me? No. Too many responsibilities, to many things to think about, too many things to listen too. Sunday is worship but not sabbath.

With all that, Saturday is usually my sabbath. Be it work at the church or stuff at FedEx or whatever, it had to be something very important or critical for me to plug in to it, because Saturday was my down time day. It was my day to re-charge my batteries, to disconnect from the world and have some good reflection time. It was sometimes just shutdown time. We all need it and God made it known it was important. It's one of the big 10.

Well, since January I've been taking a Disciples (Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)) History class. I reflected on it some in an earlier post. It was a great class and I learned a lot and I wish that I had more time to do better on the work assigned...but just not enough hours in the day. With that class..my day for sabbath became my day for study. Reading hundreds of pages, watching on line lectures and writing papers. Loved doing it but my day of rest disappeared. This class even loomed over the vacation we took because there were readings and assignments due the week of spring break. So that tension remained during that week of fun.

You can do this kind of stuff for a while but then it begins to wear on you. You begin to go through the motions on some things. Things that have meaning for you become burdens. Trudging through life becomes the norm instead of appreciating God, God's creation and all that surround us.

As I've said before.. the class is over. This Saturday is my sabbath. I am going to finally... after too long... disconnect. My day will be spent with my wife. We're not even sure what we're going to do. We may go to trade days in Nacogdoches, I may work on my daughters 67 mustang some, There are thoughts of a day trip to Galveston. I hope to find some time to read more of that book that is over in the margins of my blog. I've read 1 chapter in a week. I'll have to go back and re-read it because I can't seem to get enough time in a large enough block to read it in one sitting. I may forward a few early e-mails from my crackberry on Saturday morning to my staff that work that day..or maybe I won't. You might not be able to get in touch with me at all.

You see I believe all should do this. I think it is important to our mental health as well as our physical health. Like I said, God made us that way. It's essential to our well being. Time for me to practice what I preach.. and yes, I've actually preached on sabbath before..Now time to practice it after too long away from it. Perhaps I'll twitter my activities on Saturday and you can see it in the margin.. but that would mean I take my crackberry with me..so maybe not.

Music

I know that a key part of my ability to lead worship in my church is to listen to and find new music... or is it???? I have been a song writer in the past but it was something that just happened. The Lord inspired me, gave me words regarding scripture, things that were happening in my life, etc. It was not something that I sat down and did like a job. Well there were a few times when Chris Caraway and other friends (David McElveen, Tom Baker (T), Annie Gipson, etc..I hope no one gets mad) and I sat down with the intention to write a song...about a play we had in mind doing or for a group of new confirmands but so many times it was just something that came to me. It was usually when I had some time alone. I also know listening to music influences the ability to write.

Long drives to meetings... back when I used to have to go out and deliver (thank God that doesn't happen any more) those were times when I seemed to be blessed with inspiration from God. It put me in a habit of driving whith my radio or CD player OFF. My mind and my heart would reflect on God and God's work.

I've also been a person that usually does not listen to more than 3 or 4 artists at a time. When I was young(er)... ZZ TOP, Jimmy Buffett, Jerry Jeff Walker. Not a ton of chart topping musicians there in that group.. at least not when I started listening to them. But that was pretty much the 3 artists I listened to in college... throw in some Foreigner, Van Halen, SRV, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Gary P. Nunn...oh yes.. I did have my infatuation with E.L.O. for a while too, but most of the time I listen to just 3 or 4 groups/artists at a time.

Then comes MTV (yes I am pre MTV) and ZZ TOP becomes huge. I hear not too long ago that Jimmy Buffett is some kind of huge country music star and has actually put out an award winning song. JJW is still not a huge star although he has written a huge song (Mr. Bojangles)..yeah he wrote it.

With all of that, I usually listen to any of their older stuff... that's what happens to people that are not young(er) any more. I listen to K-FOX now and again to hear what the students listen to but it really doesn't sink in... (I do love "Hey There Delilah").. I know it's old and stuff but the melody and the chorus just says I love you like I want to say I love you to my wife.. ahh.. go ahead, make fun of me... anyway......

With all this, it makes it hard for me...at least it is against my nature... to listen to a lot of music. I savor music. I hear things the 23rd time that I didn't hear the first 22. I listened to Third Day's "Offerings" CD a lot... and I mean a lot before "Love Song" suddenly kicked me in the gut and had me crying as I was driving down the road. I like listening to contemporary christian music. I like worship music. I liked Crowder when hardly anyone listened to him.. years before he was on the radio. I like Mercy Me.. not near as much as I used to. They haven't done anything to me.. it's not their fault. I loved them before they were signed to a label and were gigantumongous rock stars. But I still love to listen to "Worship Project" a lot. I love listening to my old passion CD's.. a lot. They still make me feel closer to God. I love Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman. Heck I still listen to Among Thorns.

By the way this would be an appropriate time for me to give credit to Chris Caraway for turning me on to all this great stuff before hardly anyone else knew who they were. Thank you Chris!

All this leads to a couple of things....

Does worship music get old? It seems that worship leaders are always looking for and gobbling up new worship music like it was mom's apple pie. I realize the need for fresh music but I get intimidated by the fact that I like to do music that is 5 to 10 years old and I look at other worship leaders song sets and I don't do anything like they do.

How do I do a better job of finding new fresh music without putting my congregation in to culture shock? I still love Crowder... most of his stuff works at youth and I do love some of his slower stuff for the main service but no doubt there is a lot that is not doable for me in my main church setting. I have subcribed (as you can see from my "listening to" blocks to the right over there) to vineyards music club to try and help me expand my horizons a little but I have to say... with a 4 minute ride to work each morning and a 4 minute ride home... a full and I mean FULL time job at FedEx along with my part time duties at my church. I have a hard time digesting new music... (remember how long it takes me to get in to some music...most music... I bring up Third Day's "Love Song" again). How do I find new stuff to do without turning it in to a detestable excercise that makes me want to turn my radio "off" and listen to God in the quiet of it all??? Or the road noise of it all?

Anyway.. I want to know more, but it's also against my nature and the way I operate. I mean look at traditional worship!! They have books folks. 600 something pages of stuff they do over and over and over...and usually do only a small section of that.

My life is "rich and full" as I like to say which means I'm buried most days. I don't want my listening pleasures.. what few I have... to turn in to drudgery. I like doing "Not to Us" and "Let it Come", "Forever", "Sweet Wind" and "It's all about You (Jesus, Lover of my Soul) with a "Rain Down" thrown in there for a little spice. (Rain Down is actually an old song too... but was re-released on Crowder's "Remedy" CD.. I love it!!)

Thoughts???

Monday's are hard.. and not so hard

I feel pretty confident that my Monday blogs will be insignificant at best. Go to work at 6:30 work till 8:30 go to First Christian Church, hang out and visit a little then pastor meeting at 0900, Staff meeting at 10:15, Pastor lunch then back to FedEx around 1:00 to 1:30. Get reoriented to being FedEx guy and then I have a conference call at 2:30 till around 3:30. Deal with a few e-mails, customer service calls, work on a thing or two, talk to staff and make sure they are doing ok and bam it's time to go.

I love my freight job but I do like it when I can be productive. I love my church job.. I love going and being with the other pastors, discussion pastor relations items, plans for upcoming weeks, working on special Sundays with the music director. I feel really good there. Starting Monday's with time at church is really an amazing blessing that I have in my life right now. I have such a wonderful staff at my full time job and they allow me the ability to step away for a while and be Pastor guy. Then I go back to face conference calls and catch up. It's a day that is a blessing but it is also a day that is pretty much a throw away too.

I'm not griping mind you, just giving you a glimps of what it's like. May not have time for much on Monday. So hard to blog.. not so hard to "work".