My Worship Revolution

For a small taste of a session here at the Purpose Driven Worship Conference, swing by my Mogulus page to see a 30 minute looping recording from a live webcast of Brenton Brown sharing some new music and thoughts on worship.
Enjoy!

And let me know you stopped by!

I shared yesterday about my opportunity to be involved at Royal Family Kids Camp this year.  If you missed it, go back and check it out.

Around the middle of the week I was sent up to help out in a cabin as a relief counselor while the regular counselors took their break.  When I arrived I found out that one of the campers would not stay in his bed on the top bunk.  He wanted to get down and go to find his counselor.  He refused to say a word to us.

I shared the job of keeping him in his bed for close to an hour.  Standing on a chair, holding his arm and the bottom of his feet as he tried to get down.  Let me tell you, he was not happy with me at all!  Pushed me away.  Swatted at me.  Wouldn't talk.  But we kept talking to him.  We promised him that his counselor would be back and that we would stay till he did.  My heart broke as I watched the kid, and I also knew he was gonna end up hating the Bible teacher guy, which would do wonders for his view of God.

After his counselor got back, we were able to identify one of his concerns and talk him into going to sleep.  Then came breakfast the next morning, and I was amazed.  He kept coming over to me and playing with me and smiling at me more than he had all week long.  Was this the same kid?  Had he forgotten?

I thought back to our training.  I thought about the time we spent talking about the ways that the kids would even test us at times.  Considering their pasts, it was just something that happened.  Something tells me that somewhat unpleasant interaction had actually built trust between us.  I promised I would stay, and I did, even when I saw him at his worst.  i didn't decide to give up like perhaps someone else in his life had.  His counselor came back too, just like we all said he would.

It's amazing to me to think that an interaction like this, could in such a strange way, create relationship between us.  It was amazing that this could actually influence him in a positive way.  The next day I discovered that this kid had a beautiful smile.  And he probably became one of my favorite kids there.

Can’t seem to get video off my camera right now, including my Worship Confessional for this week.  So a quick recap of the day with pics.

Went by my old churches VBS this morning to visit a bunch of old friends that I really miss.

Jenny always does an amazing job putting this week together, decor and all.  This year seems to be no different.

Afterward, David and I got free tickets to Disneyland to hang with several of those friends.  Good stuff.

The new Toy Story ride is way cool!  As I was told before going, like Buzz Lightyear, but even better.

Oh yeah…we did come down here for a worship conference, huh?  So off to Saddleback it was after California Screamin, Toy Story, Tower of Terror, Monsters, INC, and Soarin Over California.

Great beginning to the conference with a concert with Adam Watts, Meredith Andrews and Leeland.  I’ll try to get some video from that up soon.

I noticed afterward from my twitter feed that several Tweets were headin to Denny’s, including my friend Rich Kirkpatrick.  So I hung at Denny’s for a while with @steveeller, @rkweblog, @englishguy, and @eshouse, as well as a bunch of peeps from Rich’s team, including the infamous Mike Dalton.

Quick side story.  I walk in and a girl at the table looks at me and does a double take.  I know she looks familiar, too.  “Bobby?”  I managed to remember her name.  Ellie.  But I can’t figure out how I know her.  She reminds me and it all comes back quickly.

First, know that Rich leads worship in Temecula where I used to live and do ministry.  Ellie was in the first Jr. High youth group I helped lead there and she led worship with me then.  Now she is going to Biola, and an intern at Sunridge Community Church.  I feel old.  I was proud to hear that she blogs, so go on over and say hello.  Way to go Ellie!

And with that, I’m going to sleep for a couple hours!!  Goodnight peeps!

I recently finished up a week as the camp pastor at Royal Family Kids Camp Monterey Bay.  Royal Family is a national organization and our church sponsors the camp in our area.  If you are unaware of what RFKC is, it is a week long camp for abused and neglected children in the foster care system.  Check out the Facebook page for the cause. also.

I can't express to you what an amazing week it was.  Truth is, while I totally believed in what the camp does, I was only marginally excited to be involved this year, considering my schedule and what not.  I helped out in this role part time last year, but this time was much more involved, staying there with Rachel and Caleb all week long.  I am so glad I did.

To give you a glimpse of what it was like, I wanted to share with you a quick story each day this week from something I experienced while at camp.  A snapshot of a changed life, a tender moment, or a fun time.

The first one came literally minutes into the experience.  I was at the church when the kids arrived to keep them entertained.  One of the campers recognized me from last year.  She came to me and said, "Bobby, I still remember the memory verse from last year."  She then went on to recite Jeremiah 29:11 to me without missing a beat.  I was pretty impressed, but what she said next really got me for some reason.

"I read it every night before I go to bed."

We spend a week with these kids, and you never really know how much these scriptures and Bible stories impacts them afterward.  To hear that she has been able to hold on to that promise from God, that she has read that verse over and over for the last year…you can't tell me that week didn't have a profound impact on that little girl's life.  And she was back for more.

Well, first off, sorry for the lack of activity here at the blog.  The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind.  I am now down in good ole Southern Cal for the Purpose Driven Worship Conference, so between that and trying to catch up, I foresee a possible flurry of activity this week.  (Yes, I used the word flurry.)

To start off that flurry I thought I'd start those questions y'all asked me with an easy one to answer.

Bet asked, among other things:
When are you going to have another kid (or adopt one)?

The answer…how about somewhere around February, we think?

Here we go again!  Truth is, I'm pretty nervous for the jump from one to two.  Thought I'd be excited sooner, but I realized I've become comfortable with one.

I mean, he's always giving us new challenges and laughs, but we pretty much know what to expect and I feel like we're at least doing a decent job at it.  This means a whole new ball of wax.

So for those parents of more than one out there…what should we expect?!  How was your transition from one to two?

One of the things I wasn't looking forward to before having kids was having to listen to kids music.  At a church I used to work at, my office had a door that was connected to a pre-school (not the church's).  I learned "I Am A Pizza" from that and it still tortures me to this day.

For the past several weeks it seems like a wake up singing songs from Sesame Street or Choo Choo Soul in my head.  Looks like I need to get this CD for Caleb:

HT: Chuckk Gerwig

Unfortunately, my wife and the short one are out of town today.
But through the marvel of maodern technology, I got my Happy Father's Day wishes from the kid.
Check out this video at my wife's blog.
(I really wish you could embed video from Blogger.)

That was awesome.
My kid is rad.
I love being a dad!!!

Last week I called it week 2.
But I guess since the first week was just a weigh in, it was really week 1 of weight loss.
Which would make this week 2.
Here’s what happened:

Oh well.
Check out how others did this week at the Ragamuffin Top Challenge.

2am.  Just got back to my hotel.  Random thoughts I thought I'd share before hitting the sack.

• Just got back from Fireside Coffee Lodge in Portland.  I think it's near downtown, but I'm not sure, cause I really don't know where downtown is.  So not sure.  Kari?  Cool place though.
• Portland.  Don't ever wanna move to the Pacific Northwest, but based on my last 2 visits over the past several weeks I really like Portland.  Cool city.
• In less than five hours I get on a plane to go back to San Jose.
• In about 8 hours I'm taking a CLEP test on American history in San Jose.  That's why I was at the coffeeshop studying.
• If I pass this test, I have a degree, completing my 11 year graduation plan.  If I fail, gotta pick another subject and do this all over.  Already failed this one once about 8 months ago.
• There were a lot of people in that coffeeshop for the middle of the night.  then again, it's the only one I could find open 24 hours.
• Ordered some practice tests a long time ago to study.  Comes with 3.  Told myself I just want to at least get half the questions right to feel ok about taking the test.  Finished the third test tonight, this morning, whatever.  60 right, 60 wrong.  I was hoping for a little more wiggle room than that, but hey, I guess sometimes you get what you ask for.
• So if you wanna say a quick prayer for my test if I haven't taken it yet, that would be sweet. 
• Hey, they just turned off the music in the lobby.  It was playing James Taylor – Whenever I See Your Smiling Face.  Good song.  That sucked.
• Oh yeah, old news, but before I go, this comment from Lori on this post from last time I was in Portland has to be the best comment ever on my blog.  I laughed out loud.  Maybe it's funny cause it's almost true.
• I was exhausted earlier.  My body still is, but I think the coffee did its job.  Whoa.
• I better get some sleep.  Gotta wake up in 3 hours.  Thanks for reading.
• Just say that prayer real quick, then you won't feel like that post was a complete waste of time.  Thanks.  Good night.

Being that it's late (or early) and I am tired, regardless of the caffeine, and slightly delerious, I will not be held responsible for any incoherent ramblings in this post that I will notice when I read tomorrow, or next week.  My apologies if you are now stupider for having read it.  Now that's really it.  I feel better.  My brain has dumped.  I hope that 15 minutes was worth it.

"I hope that we will continue to be able to look upon art and artists as one of the factors which can be used to draw nations together. . . . We need emotional outlets in this country and the more artistic people we can develop the better it will be for us as a nation."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

This post is part of todays Watercooler Wednesday at Ethos.  Go check it out!