Random Stuf

Random Stuf #1: If you have ever wondered what goes on in our creative team meetings... then wonder no more. We are using a Wii game system in our services this weekend... and of course... we had to make sure that it worked... right? So John and I were going head to head at a little Wii boxing.





Oh yeah... and I won.
















Random Stuf #2: Brandon and I finished editing the "Fight Night" video for Married Life LIVE this past weekend. It is nice to have opportunities to do creative things that are outside of your primary responsibilities from time to time. It will really stretch you. I have had a blast working on this thing. Married Life LIVE is going to be amazing! I hope you have your tickets! See you there!


Random Stuf #3: Speaking of Married Life LIVE... the theme for this weekend is "Fight Night"... so we just happened to have some boxing gear sitting around the offices this week. I came around the corner this morning and found John Bunn and his son, Andrew going at it.



Random Stuf #4: This is how technologically advanced our systems are at NewPointe. We make adjustments with... A BIG STICK! Too funny!


Random Stuf #5: Coming back from Coshocton the other day... I had to do a "double take". We passed a real WORKING steam locomotive. It was actually pretty amazing.















Random Stuf #6: Have you ever had San Benedetto Peach Tea? You can get it at Wall House Cafe in Sugarcreek. The first time I ever had this stuff was at Brio (one of my favorite restaurants) in Columbus. I could not believe that they have it at Wall House now! You've got to try this stuff! It is unbelievable!

















More random stuf to come!

American Idol Update:

All I am going to say for tonight is...

David Cook
David Cook
David Cook

Did anyone else sing tonight? If they did... I must have missed it.

Innovation

This is a pretty amazing commercial. This guy designs sculptures that are powered by the wind. You've just got to see it to believe it. Listen closely to what he says at the end. It is an incredible statement about innovation and imagination.

One Funny Guy

We hosted an event for P.A.L. Mission tonight at NewPointe. The headliner for the evening was (my favorite comedian in the world) Tim Hawkins. If you have never heard Tim's stuff... then you really need to check out his web-site. He is the funniest guy that I have ever known. He is absolutely NUTS! We had an blast with him tonight. Here are some photos from the evening.

American Idol Update: OK... I give up!

Carly??? With Jason and Syesha still in there... Carly??? No way! She was one of the stand-out performances this week... and this is how America votes?

Un-be-lievable.

Again... can you say Chris Daughtry? Carly is definitely another future star... voted off before her time.

Who's next? I'm not even going to guess. Did you think Carly should have been voted off? What are your thoughts?

Well... until next week...

This Weekend @ NewPointe: Set list

This is the last week of the "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" series here at NewPointe! It has been an incredible series. Here are the songs that we will be singing this weekend:

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Guns N Roses
(We had several requests to repeat this one before the series was over... so get there early!)

"No One Like You" - David Crowder* Band

"Glorious One" - Steve Fee

"Awesome Is The Lord Most High" - Chris Tomlin

"Song Of Hope" - Robbie Seay Band

Don't miss it!

American Idol Update: Andrew Lloyd Weber Night

So here's my take on tonight's show... while it's going down.

Syesha: She sounds great on this stuff. WOW! She probably has an advantage over the rockers tonight... don't you think? We'll see.

Jason: I really like the texture and the breathiness of Jason's voice. But on this song... it's just not working. Andrew Lloyd Weber's music is a real stretch for his vocal style. Whoah... I think that the judges were a little hard on him though. It wasn't THAT bad. I sort of liked it.

Brooke: No way! She dropped the words! Then she told the band to start over... and they did it! Unbelievable! I didn't think that was allowed on Idol. It was pretty risky... but the right move to make that early in the arrangement. It was a little flat in places... but over all... she did a nice job once she started over. I still really like Brooke's voice. Again... not as much on ALW's music tonight... but she is still one of my favorites.

David A: He has really taken this song a different direction. I wonder what Andrew is thinking right about now. So far... I'm pretty bored. It sounds like last week... the week before... and the week before that (yawn). Don't get me wrong. David can sing... he just doesn't stand out.

(Commercial break: I think that Andrew Lloyd Weber is giving the Idol's some of the best coaching of the season. He is giving them the kind of stuff that will help them actually pull off HIS music. Without those suggestions... I think they would really be embarrassing themselves tonight. Carly is next. I wonder what she is going to sing. It should be interesting.)

Carly: Great choice... ditching "All I Ask of You". Just hearing her sing that little bit of it on the rehearsal video... you can tell that it would have been a "train wreck". She is avoiding the high notes on the chorus by adding that soulful ad lib. Smart move! What a huge song. The band sounds great on this one! Paul jackson Jr. is one amazing guitarist! WOW! Carly has a pretty huge voice though. She's actually pulling "Superstar" off. She definitely rocked it out. I liked it!

(Commercial break: David Cook is next... holding my breath. What is he going to do tonight?)

David Cook: He just said that he grew up doing musical theatre... whew... that'll help. OK... so far the soft parts are a little weird for me. WOW! I think that high note saved him. People will remember that! He is really showing his range tonight. It was not one of my favorite performances of the season from David... but he pulled it off... and he showed that he is probably the most "well rounded" vocalist left on the show. I'm still pulling for David. I shouldn't BLOG about that though... because (with my luck) he will get voted off tomorrow night.

(Andrew Lloyd Weber is a musical genius. This is not my favorite week as far as songs for the Idols... but you can't argue the fact that the man has written some pretty unbelievable songs.)

Well... that's it for tonight. What did you think? How did your favorite Idol do tonight? Come on... leave a comment... let us know!

Funny Video

This is pretty funny stuff. If you've ever wondered what it takes to get into the band here at NewPointe... trust me... don't follow this guy's advice:

Married Life LIVE: Fight Night

I spent most of the day in Coshocton, Ohio with our video crew. We were at a boxing gym shooting a video that I am directing for Married Life LIVE (Fight Night... reconcilable differences)... and we had a blast!

I can't tell you what it is all about... but here are a few photos to peak your curiosity:

After we had finished shooting for the day... I got in the ring with Dave and took a few shots at him myself. I couldn't stop laughing at Dave long enough to actually fight him.





































Then it happened... Dave took a cheap shot at me when I wasn't looking. Really... it's not as bad as it looks. I was actually turning to say something to Melissa (who had my camera) and Dave was acting like he punched me in the stomach. It's still a pretty funny photo.



















The coolest things that happened all day: Three couples from the gym want to join us for Married Life LIVE! They can't wait to see what we are up to at NewPointe. Pretty cool... huh? AND the free hotdogs and donuts served up by the great people of Cochocton who were hosting a clean-up day on the square (downtown)... and stopped to watch us shoot Dave running (Rocky-esque) up the steps to their courthouse building. I am convinced that some of the nicest people around... live in Coshocton, Ohio.














Married Life LIVE is on Saturday night, May the 3rd. If you don't already have tickets... get them soon. It will probably be another "sell-out". I am telling you... it will be amazing! You can expect lots of great music (including songs by Rascal Flatts, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Police, Pat Benatar, and Paula Abdul? - just to name a few), great food, lots of fun, a special guest speaker, John Allen Turner (from NorthPoint Church in Atlanta)... and then... a huge surprise at the end of the night! You won't believe it! So whatever you do... don't miss it!

American Idol Update: ... and then there were 6

OK, Idol fans...

Four down... and six to go.

Who's your favorite?
Who goes home next week?


Leave a comment.

It's OK to be wrong... trust me.

My Creative Wife

My lovely wife, April is getting ready to start a new job at the end of the month. She is going to be creating arrangements and refinishing vintage furniture for a brand new store in Sugarcreek. The store is called "Vintage Designs" and it will be located right next door to Heini's Gourmet Market (So be sure to check it out.) The kind of stuff that she will be doing is right in her "sweet spot". You see... I just happen to be married to the most creative woman that I know. Not only can she sing like a pro... but she is also extremely "artsy".

April has a knack for seeing the potential in anything (I mean... she married me... right?). She can take an old piece of furniture... or some little piece of "junk" at Goodwill... and turn it into something that looks absolutely amazing.

She has been hard at work for the past month or so... collecting items at thrift stores, garage sales and antique malls. Once she finds this stuff... she sands, paints, arranges (whatever it needs) these items to turn them into unique creations.

As you can see... she has been very busy.

Here are some examples of her work. (You can click on any of these to enlarge them.)





















































April is not afraid to try just about anything... to come up with something very unique... out of nothing. She is a real risk taker too. That is an incredibly important quality in an artist. The fear of failure... or the fear of our creations not being liked or accepted is one of our biggest enemies. Once we are able to get past that obstacle... the sky's the limit.

So... don't be afraid... go for it... just create... and DREAM BIG!

This Weekend @ NewPointe: Set list

As we continue the "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" series... this weekend you can expect to hear:

"Neighborhoods" - Big Daddy Weave
(get here early... you will not want to miss this one. It will be amazing!)

"The Noise We Make" - Chris Tomlin

"Everlasting God" - Chris Tomlin

"How Great Is Our God" - Chris Tomlin

"In The Blink Of An Eye" - MercyMe

Attitude

I met with my men's group at Bob Evans this morning. I love meeting with these guys. We had already decided to start a new study on a book written by John Maxwell called, "the CHOICE is yours ". We had just picked up the books (yesterday) from the NewPointe Bookstore... and had plans to start discussing the book this morning.

Well... THIS is pretty amazing:

As I was getting dressed this morning... I was flipping over to the Weather Channel... when I saw... JOHN MAXWELL... ON TV!!! Now... I have met John Maxwell... attended his conferences... read his books and watched his DVDs... listened to his tapes and CDs... but NEVER have I seen him on TV. Is that crazy... or what??? He was talking with Joyce Meyer about ATTITUDE. The first chapter in his book "the CHOICE is yours" is called ATTITUDE (Is a choice) and that is what we were going to discuss at our breakfast meeting this morning. Now I don't look at anything that happens like this as a mere "coincidence". So I am sure that God is going to be revealing some pretty BIG stuff to our group through this little book.

On the show this morning... John talked about how our attitude... or how we are going to approach life and it's opportunities... is OUR CHOICE. Even if we didn't get such a great start in life (abused as a child, neglected, dysfunctional family, etc...) all of that can be turned around the moment that we choose to no longer be the THE VICTIM. In spite of a poor start... we can still finish strong. Our attitude determines the direction of our lives. We make the choice to be bitter... or be better. He said that one thing God will never do... is make that choice for you.

I am really excited to see what this book is all about for our men's group... but maybe this message on attitude... was for you today. I will keep blogging about this book as we go along.

Random Stuf

Random Stuf #1: I went over to peek in on the sound check for our Student Ministries band last Wednesday night. Jeff Conn and the guys knock it out of the park every week. That's my boy, Brandon sportin' a new doo on the lead guitar (stage right). These guys are my heroes! Thanks for all you do to lead our students in worship each week, guys!



Random Stuf #2: I took some time out from my music responsibilities to write a script for a video that we will be shooting for Married Life LIVE. We start production next Friday night. I can't wait! It should be a lot of fun. You'll just have to be there to see what it's all about! Don't miss it!

Random Stuf #3: Have I mentioned how much I love my new MacBook Pro? I don't know what I would do without ProTools and Reason. These two programs have revolutionized the way I arrange, record and perform music.






Random Stuf #4: So I was just bragging on my Reason software and this week it started acting strange. For some reason (pardon the pun) it has started crashing when I add too many layers to a recording. I use it every week with our band... and this week it decides to be... unreasonable.

Go figure.


Random Stuf #5: I am leading worship with electric guitar tomorrow morning. I don't do that very often... probably because I am not as comfortable on the electric. Don't get me wrong... I enjoy playing... but I am a lot more comfortable on the keys or on an acoustic guitar. My favorite part of playing the electric is... that I feel like a real "rocker". It's a little harder to feel like a "rocker" on a grand piano.




Random Stuf #6: I am still upset about this week's Idol results... but I'll probably still watch the show next Tuesday night.


More Random Stuf to come!

American Idol Update: What's Up With America????

I totally DON'T GET IT!

BAD CALL!

Kristy Lee, Syesha, Jason... or even Brooke...

but MICHAEL JOHNS???? No stinkin' way!

The last time that I felt like this was when Chris Daughtry got voted off. Well... the rest was history there... huh? Unbelievable! That was a HUGE mistake, America!

American Idol Update

So this is what I missed last night! WOW... it was the best performance of the night as far as I'm concerned. Way to go, Michael!

This Weekend @ NewPointe: Set list

We are still in the "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" series here at NewPointe and it has been amazing! Here are the songs that you can expect to hear this weekend... along with a powerful message from John Bunn.

"Heaven (How Far Is Heaven)" - Los Lonely Boys

"One Way" - Hillsong United

"Here Is Our King" - David Crowder* Band

"Sing To The King" - Candi Pearson

"Your House, My Home" - Keith Dudley

See you there!

American Idol Update

It was such an amazing evening... that we stayed outside and played as long as we possibly could. We took Miley for a walk... and she had an absolute blast out there. I really think that we wore her out though. By the time we finished our walk... Miley was ready to get back to house and take a nap. Of course we had to get back in time for American Idol anyway.


So... here's my take on the show tonight. Again... I am going to blog while I listen to each of them sing. Here it goes:

Michael: I turned the TV on just as Michael was singing the last note of his song. The crowd absolutely LOVED him! It must have been a pretty solid performance. Uh oh... evidently Randy didn't care for the song selection. Simon likes Michael but didn't like the selection either. Wow... I guess I'll have to hear this one tomorrow on Youtube.

Syesha: She sounds great on this song! She just left her mic stand to go to the front of the stage. She must be getting ready to really "bring it". OK... she just hit a high Eb... and ouch... it wasn't great! She's no Mariah... or Fantasia. Not a bad performance overall... but not really memorable either. She has a nice voice.

Jason: A ukulele? Oh boy... we can get ready for a Simon "Tiny Tim" reference... right? You know that somebody's gonna go there. Overall... pretty good performance... of a quirky sort of arrangement of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". WOW... he got raving reviews from the judges. I guess I just didn't connect with the whole ukulele thing. I still like this guy though. He is definitely unique.

Kristy Lee: I really think that this should be her week to go home. She is just not up to par with the other vocalists. Even with all of the reverb on her vocals... she is sounds off on the lower notes of the verses. Over all: It was probably one of her better performances though. Great song choice for her "country" pipes. I still think that she should go home this week.

David Cook: Is it just me... or are the BGVs burying the vocalists in the mix? I really want to hear David... but I'm struggling to pull him out of the mix. It may be because the song is too low for him. I'm really not into this song at all. It has such a wide range and he is just not nailing it down. I have to agree with Randy and Simon. I think that the song selection really hurt him tonight.

Carly: Man, can she ever sing?!? Strong pipes. She seems angry though. Ooops... now she is off pitch! WOW... she almost wiped out! I still like her voice though. I just think that she needs to sing from somewhere other than "emo" world. Hey... Simon said the same thing about the "angry" performance thing. Cool! I still like Carly a lot. I don't agree that she could be in trouble with that performance.

David Archuleta: He sounds great so far. He really should leave the piano on this chorus. Come on... come on... nope... he's still there. Oh well... it is still probably the best that I have heard him sing. I think that he needed a strong performance tonight. Great song... strong performance! OK... so maybe I'm a fan again.

Brooke: The girl can sing. Great job with a classic song. Nothing extraordinary... but very nice performance. She already reminds me a lot of Carole King... so it wasn't a real stretch.

Tonight... (I can't believe I'm saying this) I guess I'll go with David Archuleta... but only because I didn't get to hear my man, Michael Johns sing. And... I think that Kristy Lee or Brooke could be going home this week.

We'll see.

What A Day!

After church this morning... I got in my car... picked up my sunglasses (which had been baking in the front window of my car all morning.) and put them on my face. Auuugh!!! It burns!!!! You know what... I didn't even care. Because FINALLY... it's a beautiful day in Ohio!

Flashback: Easter Sunday @ NewPointe

There have been many requests to see the video of our Easter 2008 closing song, "He Reigns" on YouTube. Well... you can find it there now... but why go to all that trouble when you can watch it right here on my BLOG. The quality is not all that great... but you can see that we had a really great time!

Dangerous

An old friend of ours from Virginia (Karin Bourdelais) posted a photo (on her Facebook) from a vacation that our families took together several years ago at the Outer Banks. I was riding a boogie board in some pretty decent waves that day... when all of a sudden... this shark came out of nowhere and tried to take my leg off! She just happened to catch this great photo from the beach!

















OK... so there wasn't really a shark. (I was just havin' some fun with a little "photographic trickeration")... but the waves were pretty gnarly! Seriously... this picture was taken right before a big wave picked me up and slammed my face into a sandbar. My teeth went through my bottom lip. There was so much blood... it looked like I had been bitten by a shark.

Here's the funny part: Dwight and Patty Mason were vacationing there at the same time. Now... this was before we ever moved to Ohio... and I was still in the interview process. Our two families just happened to be vacationing at the same beach... at the same time that summer (Pretty wild... huh?) Well... April and I were going over to the Mason's condo later that evening to meet them for the first time. So I walked in with this huge swollen bottom lip. I could hardly talk. It was too funny! First impressions are everything... right? Well... the Mason's were gracious... and extended an invitation to our family to join the Sugarcreek (NewPointe) staff and we've been a part of a pretty "dangerous" ministry ever since. We are so blessed to be apart of this amazing church! I'm so glad we don't "play it safe" at NewPointe.

Wellness Update

The NewPointe staff has been a part of a wellness challenge for 6 or 7 weeks now. During this time... we have lost a combined weight of around 311 pounds. that is pretty amazing... huh? Well... I am pretty excited that I have recently passed the 20 lb mark. I am even more excited about what my doctor told me this morning. Check this out:





I had some lab work done a couple of weeks ago because we discovered that I had very high cholesterol and sugar levels. I was really hoping that the weight loss would bring it down. Well... IT DID! Get this... below are the before and after numbers from the follow-up consultation with my doctor this morning:












Is that cool or what? Also... my sugar was at 103. I can't remember what it was before... but my doctor said that the new number was (his exact words) "Amazing". When he checked my blood pressure... he actually used the word "Beautiful". OK... so I have never had a doctor tell me that my blood pressure (or anything else) was "beautiful". He said that (in most cases) it would take a person 2 years to lower their cholesterol by 50 points. He was pretty amazed. So... I am pleased to have dropped the 20 pounds... but I am much more excited about lowering all of those numbers.

I still have about 10 pounds to lose to reach my goal... with about 5 weeks left in the challenge. I know that those are going to be the hardest pounds to lose. More updates to come!

American Idol Update

I am going to blog while I'm actually watching the show tonight. Now... these are just my opinions. You don't have to agree with me. I'm just going to tell it like I see it:









Brooke: I still like Brooke. She is probably not the next American Idol... but she is definitely a talented vocalist/musician. I am loving the fact that so many of the vocalists are musicians as well this season. Not that any of them are just phenomenal players... but it has just added a whole new dimension to the performances. Brooke is still a favorite (has been since the first auditions).

David Cook: I wasn't crazy about him when the season started... but now he is now one of my favorites on the show. Over the past 3 weeks has proven to be a real contender with great arrangement choices and a soulful voice. David is the real deal I mean... what do you do with a Dolly Parton song as a guy? You do exactly what David Cook just did. It was pretty amazing.

Ramiele: Could go home this week. It was a pretty average performance.

Jason: I like what he is doing with the song. It has a very cool vibe. He is playing like the most awesome Gibson acoustic guitar ever (my dream guitar). Great job with a so-so song! I am not a big Dolly Parton fan. I don't think Simon is either... ya think?

Carly: What rich voice. It is just a little weird to hear THAT SONG... with such a smooth voice... out of someone looking so "emo". It's just wierd... that's all. I like Carly a lot... probably my "pick" from the ladies... but that's not saying a whole lot... since the guys are so much stronger.

David Archuletta: To me... he has been fading over the past few weeks. Don't get me wrong... he is a very talented kid... but the WOW is wearing off for me. Tonight... was a little different. I think the song fits his voice really well. He actually did a nice job with it. I still don't think that he has what it takes to go all the way though (except for millions of young screaming female fans.)

Kristy Lee: OK... so I think she had a slight advantage this week. She is a better "fit" for Dolly Parton than the other vocalists. Her performance was "a little pitchy... and just OK, dawg". I still think it's time for her to go home. Maybe this will be her week? Please?

Syesha: Great song choice for her... I think? Her vibrato is a little too slow for this song. I don't know... it seemed like it was just a little out of her range too. You know... it's just hard to top Whitney's version of that song. OK... so maybe not such a great song choice for Syesha. She has a nice voice... but another pretty average performance.

I just think that the guys are so much stronger from here on out.

Michael: I still like this guy a lot. I picked him from the very first audition... and I still think he has the most unique voice of them all. Very soulful. Does he have what it takes to go all the way? I don't know... but I think his chances are pretty good. I personally think that it was the best performance of the night.

Who is your favorite?

We'll see what happens... tomorrow night.

This Weekend @ NewPointe: Set list

We are continuing our "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" series this weekend. And yes... you will be hearing a little Guns N' Roses. Also... we will be celebrating about 8 baptisms! It is going to be an amazing day! So... here is the music you can expect to hear this weekend at NewPointe:

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Guns N' Roses
(It will be pre-service... so get there early!)

"No One Like You" - David Crowder* Band

"Awesome Is The Lord Most High" - Chris Tomlin

"It's All Because of Jesus" - Steve Fee

See you there!