NWLC Day 3

This conference continues to amaze me. It continues to stretch us and challenge us in so many areas. I can also tell you that it is so hot in Austin in July. Wow….

Today, we heard some amazing worship bands. All of these happen to be some of my favorites: Lincoln Brewster (Majestic, Love The Lord, Amazed to name a few songs) was incredible! We also heard the worship team from Gateway Church (Revelation Song, New Doxology to name a few) and they rocked the house! We also had the chance to sit under the leadership and teaching of Don Moen of Integrity Music. Don is a friend of ours and has been a tremendous inspiration in the area of worship leadership.

We also attended songwriting classes taught by Tommy Walker (That’s Why We Praise Him, He Knows My Name, As We Worship You) and Chris Tomlin (Amazing Grace – My Chains Are Gone, How Great is Our God, Enough, Famous One, Made To Worship & Holy Is The Lord). It was truly an incredible experience to sit under the teaching of these two trailblazers in the area of worship! They have given the church some of our most precious songs and it was a great opportunity to get a glimpse into their writing process.

We also heard an incredible message from Gordon MacDonald about planning worship for multiple generations of people. It brought fresh insight for all of us!

We have also had many incredible meals while we have been here. Yesterday, we had lunch at Z’Tejas. It was awesome!!!!! This is an amazing chain in the Western United States serving a blend of Mexican and Southwest influenced food.

You cannot come to Texas and not sample some BBQ! So, tonight we ate at Rudy’s. This is a very unique dining experience. All Rudy’s restaurants are attached to gas stations. When you walk in you will see a long roped area that leads up to a counter where you order. Inside this roped line are iced coolers filled with drinks. When you get to the counter they want to know if you’ve ever been there before. If not, you are served a sampling of any of their BBQ so that you can make an educated choice! Tonight, Kim and I chose a sampling of Baby Back Ribs, Brisket and Smoked Sausage. All of this is served with a stack of white bread, sliced raw onions and pickles. There is a huge container of sauce as well! For sides we had creamed corn, potato salad and slaw. This place is awesome! Once you make your selections you eat at long picnic tables with everybody else. We sat next to some real Texas cowboys tonight….cowboy hats, boots and all!

If you ever make it down this way, we can highly recommend both of these great places!

Beach Sunsets Rock

One of my favorite things in the whole world is sitting on the beach. For me this is the ultimate form of relaxation. There is something about the sound of the ocean crashing against the sand and the warmth of the sun that I absolutely love. Even thinking about it as I write this, takes me to a very special place in my mind and heart. It just feels right to me.

A close second behind sitting on the beach is watching a sunset on the beach. It is truly an amazing experience. That is precisely why I chose the cover picture for this blog. There is something eerily peaceful about watching the sun set on another day. It’s like God painting on an amazing canvas for us, to remind us of the extravagant way that He loves us.

We were recently on vacation in Florida and got the chance to take part in a pretty unique sunset experience. We were sitting and watching, trying to take it all in when all of a sudden an older man stood up and began to blow a long solid note into a conch shell. At first I started laughing and then, as the moments rolled by and he continued to sustain this note all of us got inspired. He actually held it out until the sun dipped below the horizon. By the time he stopped, close to 100 people who had gathered around him began to clap and cheer. It was awesome.

For Kim and me the beach holds a very special place and this “sunset moment” holds a lot of memories for us. Some of the most important and exciting decisions of our life have been made watching these sunsets. Some of our most meaningful connections have also taken place there.

Watching this majestic transformation unfold before us is simply incredible.

I hope that as you read this you might be taken to whatever that special place is for you…..a place of peace and calm that allows you to feel connected to God and helps to bring clarity to His voice in your mind and heart. Every month or so, I try to spend a few moments looking at these sunset pics from our Florida vacation so that I can be reminded of God’s incredible love for us and that I have to remember to never become to busy to stop and watch the sunset.