skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Monday - We (Gatlin Elms and I) had a lazy day in Austin because we couldn't check in for the Worship Leader's Conference until 4:30pm. We had a late breakfast at a place called "Cinnamon's Bakery" and ate cinnamon rolls that looked like this. Then we headed out to look for a guitar store and just happened upon an unassuming, out of the way, amazing place called Guitar Rez (short for resurrection - I assume they repair and "resurrect" guitars.). They had all kinds of acoustic and electric guitars and Gatlin and I really enjoyed just hanging out there.
We went back to the hotel and relaxed for a little while before heading out to check in at the conference. We were there at 4:30 and the opening session didn't start until 7pm so we had some time to kill. We looked around the vendor tent for awhile and then headed over to go through a life-size replica of the Tabernacle. It was really neat. They give you a little mp3 player with headphones that takes you through about a 45 minute tour of each part of the Tabernacle and you participate at several "stations" (burn wood at the altar of burnt offering, washed our hands at the Laver, lit an oil lamp at the Lampstand, took a stick of incense into the holy of holies). It was a neat experience. At 7pm the opening session began and we had an amazing time of worship with Matt Redman, Paul Baloche (probably my all time favorite) and others.
Tuesday - Day 2 of conference. We skipped the morning big group session and ate a late breakfast again (cinnamon rolls!) then headed on over to the conference to attend our first break-out session. I went to a session called "Rehearsing Your Team" with one of the music staff guys from Saddleback Church in California. Then we ate lunch and went to our second session of the day which was "Transitioning Worship" by one of my favorite songwriters/worship leaders Lincoln Brewster. It was about making worship style changes in your church (which we've already done, but it was good to hear his views on this).
We skipped the large group afternoon session and went back to the hotel where I thought I would nap, but spent my time checking emails and doing some work for church. We headed back up to Riverbend Church for the evening large group session to be led in worship again by some neat leaders (Leeland, Phillips, Craig & Dean).
Wednesday - Day 3 of the conference started with breakfast of champions - Cinnamon roll again! Then we went to another break-out session. I went to a songwriting class with Tommy Walker (another one of my favorite songwriters/worship leaders). There were probably 75-100 people in the class and after talking about songwriting (for worship) he led us in writing a song! He took ideas from people for the lyrics and melody and within about 20 minutes we had a verse and chorus of a pretty good song!
After lunch I went to another songwriting class with my friend Chris Tomlin. I can say I knew Chris when he was just a punk kid at Super Summer camp in the early 1990's. Now his songs are some of the most popular worship songs sung in churches around the world (How Great is Our God, We Fall Down, Holy is the Lord, Forever - he has 4 songs in the top 20 of CCLI songs sung around the world). I'm excited for him and it's amazing how the Lord is using a little guy from Grand Saline, TX to impact the world-wide church.
We ended the evening with worship by Don Moen (Give Thanks, I Just Want to Be Where You Are among many others), Kathryn Scott (a sweet little Irish girl who writes amazing songs), Gateway Church worship team (where my friend Ed Funderburk is on staff) and then Lincoln Brewster. The picture at the top is what our evenings looked like.
Thursday - Another late breakfast - Gatlin had another Cinnamon roll but I went for the Apple Kolache this time. Then we went to a break-out session called "Creating a Culture of Worship" by Buddy Owens (son of Jimmy and Carol Owens). It was probably the most practical and inspiring session I went to all week. After lunch we went to a session called "SongDiscovery Listening Panel" because Gatlin had submitted one of his own worship songs and they listened to it and critiqued it. They really liked the song. If his song is chosen it will go on a CD compilation of worship songs that goes out to 20,000 worship leaders. Really exciting for Gatlin!
After that session we left Austin and got home about 5:30. Austin was still at Jr. High camp so Tyler and I watched a funny Will Ferrell movie (Kicking & Screaming).
Friday - I did a little work at the office in the morning and then spent the rest of the day at home with the family. We went to the Woodlands Pavillion in the evening because Gatlin won a radio contest and got to open for the Foreigner/Bryan Adams concert. This is what he looked like on stage from where I was standing.
Saturday - was a lazy day for me. Holly got up and ran 5 miles with her friend and personal trainer Erin. She amazes me. The boys and I went over and met her at the Osteen's house (Erin is house-sitting while the Osteens are in Kenya for 2.5 months) Austin fished in their pond and caught this guy. It's a large-mouth bass that weighed 3.5 lbs. Austin says his heart pounds when he hooks these guys.
Sunday - Here is my twitter post from that day: It was a good day in the house of the Lord. Now there are just two of us in the house of Ray. One kid at camp, one at a friend's house.
Tyler left for his last Pre-Teen Camp and he was excited.
Vacation Bible School started early Monday morning. We used the materials and theme from Group Publishing called "Power Lab" (kind of a science lab theme). We had over 300 children and adult volunteers for the first day. I was responsible for the songs that we did in the opening and closing session. We sang several songs each day with a video (they have hand motions that I didn't know very well), but then I led a couple songs with my guitar and that's always fun. You wouldn't think doing something that simple would require much, but I was always "whooped" everyday when VBS was over at 12:30.
Wednesday - Tyler had his first football practice and loved it (picture here). It's going to be a long season (games could last until November, sometimes December if they go into finals), but I think he's ready for it.
Saturday - It was a very relaxing morning, but then I had to go up to the church and setup the stage. We had to take everything off the stage for VBS and I was too tired to do it after VBS Friday. Somehow I managed to squeeze in a date with Holly after setting up!
Sunday - After church Sunday morning I was able to go home and FULLY relax. I cancelled worship team rehearsal because I needed to pack for the Worship Leader's Conference I was attending in Austin. I took Gatlin Elms with me who is a young songwriter and worship leader for our youth and others. He and I left about 6pm because I had to lead worship at Wilderness Ridge Camp. After leading worship we drove on in to Austin and checked into our hotel and then went and found a place to eat.
Monday - Pretty lazy day. Took Austin and Tyler fishing at staff member Larry's house. Austin always catches something there (usually 1-2 lb. bass).
Tuesday & Wednesday - It was kind of a slow week and I don't remember what I did on these days.
Thursday - Holly went to do some work for school and somehow left with my car keys. She gets no cell phone reception while in that building so my calls to her went unanswered. So I worked from home! Technology is a wonderful thing.
Austin and I left about 6pm to drive to Wilderness Ridge Camp and lead worship (that's him with his "Djembe" and other percussion instruments at the top)
Friday - I spent the day in the office getting ready for the Sunday service and making hospital visits. Holly spent the night with her friend Erin in Houston so they could run at Memorial Park downtown.
Saturday - Holly was running downtown with Erin and Tyler had football try-outs at about 9am so the boys and I got up earlier than usual on a Saturday morning and headed into Magnolia. Tyler loved the try-outs and is excited about football.
Sunday -it was a fairly typical Sunday: long morning (starts at 6am, ends at 12:30pm), try to get in a nap before heading back up to church for worship team rehearsal at 4pm. Austin and I left at 6:00pm to head for Wilderness Ridge Camp again.
Monday - I had a lazy morning (day off and the rest of the family was in Burleson) until I got a phone call from a church member. My "favorite" words to hear on a Monday are "I know it's your day off, BUT..." There was a pretty good relational crisis and I told them I'd meet them at my office, but when I got in my car the battery was dead. So I asked them to come out to the house, hoping for a jump in exchange for my counseling services.
Tuesday - The dogs woke me up at 4am barking incessently, so I went outside to see what was going on. They were outside the gate and when I went outside the younger dog came over to me, but our older dog, Stacey wouldn't come even when I called her. She was just looking up at something, so I went over to her and found the object of their interest. They had chased a opossum up a fence post. I got the dogs back inside the yard so they would stop barking. When I went out the next morning the opossum was still there sitting atop the fence post...so I took a picture of him (at the top).
I headed on to Coaches study where we were in a study called Flawed: Imperfect People Chosen by God. We're studying people like Jacob (deceiver), Gideon (insecure, self-doubter), David (pre-meditated sinner), Solomon (unwise lover), Elijah (slow learner) and Jonah (prejudiced prophet). It's been really good!
Later in the morning we had a meeting with a guy from the BGCT church architect dept and talked with him about future building plans. At some point during the day my new laptop came in. I have needed a laptop for working at home or when I'm out of town and our Executive pastor bought me a really nice one. Our church network is set up so that I can access all of my (our) files no matter where I am. It's very handy!
Wednesday - Usual staff meeting in the morning and planning for the Sunday service.
Thursday - Because I was a "bachelor" for the week David & Hope Elms invited me to breakfast at the Diner. I would probably eat there everyday if I could afford it. Not necessarily because the food is outstanding, but just because it's handy and I enjoy the fellowship with people.
Holly and boys returned to the house while I was at the office so I was glad to see them when I got home.
Friday - Holly ran her first ever 5k run (3.1 miles) and so we got up really early and went in to downtown Houston to cheer her on (pictures here)
After a nap I took Austin fishing and then we all headed in to the Tomball Chick-Fil-A to see our friend Gatlin Elms perform a concert and then watched fireworks at dark.
Saturday - We had a pretty relaxing morning, but then I had to go to the church later in the afternoon to set up the stage after a wedding.
Sunday - We had our Patriotic service in the morning, I got a short nap and then it was off to rehearsal in the afternoon.
Austin, Tyler and I left about 6pm to go lead worship at Wilderness Ridge camp. It's a good hour and 45 minutes to the camp, but we got there to lead worship at 8pm. It's kinda weird driving that far to lead 4 songs and then leave, but the camp leaders think it adds something special and we enjoy it. We thought we would drop in at FBC Magnolia Sr. High camp over near Bryan so we headed that way about 8:30 or so. It took longer than I thought it was going to take and we got to Bryan about 9:50. I was pretty tired after a long day and it was probably another 30 min. to the camp from there, so we decided to get something sweet at Dairy Queen and head on home.
