Some people have their life all planned out. That was me, pretty much by the time I went to college. I would be in ministry, concentrating in music and administration, and eventually go into the pastorate. That was my “career” path. I followed it and I loved it.
In early 2006 after three weeks of personal turmoil, confusion and wrestling with God, everything changed. For the first time I understood what GOD had planned for my life. Of course, the concept I had mulled over was not totally new. Yet the idea of a special place where theatre, music and electronic media with a Christian worldview could flourish began to excite me and others. This “place” would be a spectacular destination whose thematic material, atmosphere and purpose would draw individuals and families from everywhere.
And so I began to embark on this project—to build Miracle Mansion.
But how in the world??
It was obvious that even the conceptualization of this was way above my pay grade, let alone the reality of it. If it was going to happen, God would have to do it. And a lot of people would need to stand with me. I could never do this alone.
Well, God willing, we will soon close on 73 acres of prime real estate where the Miracle Mansion complex will be built. This is 2010’s #1 goal! Three years ago the thought of purchasing a 17.5 million dollar piece of land was unfathomable. But God is making it possible. And people around the country are joining this effort. Miracle after miracle has taken place, and we are marching on toward opening night in late 2013.
So “73” has become my personal theme. What a great number! It was 1973 when the Dolphins defeated the Redskins for a perfect NFL season. “73” is the single season home run record set by Barry Bonds in 2001. I could go on and on, but I mostly love the fact that “73” is a number containing two integers symbolizing “perfection or completion” and “God.” This motivates me as I am reminded that we have an awesome God who can do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
With that in mind I prayerfully set 73 personal goals for 2010. A friend reminded me that if we “fail to plan, we plan to fail.” I may not accomplish all of them, but it won’t be due to the lack of a plan. I just want to be the best I can be for God and for His purpose in my life.
Thanks so much to each of you for the encouragement over the last 73 days. I so appreciate your prayers for the many more days ahead.
For information about the Miracle Mansion Project or to learn how to be a part of Groundswell73, visit www.TheMiracleMansion.com.
Personal Goals for 2010:
1. Close on the 73-acre property
2. Lose weight
3. Bring Lora home from work for good
4. Lead 52 people to Christ
5. Complete Groundswell73
6. Complete my novel, The Miracle Mansion
7. Become the most important person in the world to someone who really needs it
8. Buy Lora a killer diamond ring
9. Improve my prayer life
10. Host major MM event at the Kennedy Center
11. Teach Cameron to Drive
12. Write a musical
13. Be 100% accessible to my friends
14. Conquer procrastination
15. Memorize the Book of James
16. Bring on full-time MM staff
17. Spend more time with my parents
18. Travel to visit every Crossroads college student
19. Go away for a couple of days with Cameron
20. Go away for a couple of days with Casey
21. Throw Granddaddy a 100th birthday party
22. Hire a top-notch church pianist
23. Develop the MM Campus Project
24. Set aside a weekly date night with Lora
25. Attend one performance of each of Diana’s shows
26. Read a book each month
27. Start a college fund
28. Grow the College and Career Class to a consistent 45
29. Get 60 singles to the Retreat
30. Promote the July COEBA Gathering in January
31. Have Lari Goss in for a choral workshop
32. Start an orchestra at church
33. Produce a new Choir Christmas CD
34. Remodel basement
35. Complete collaboration on a book about church music
36. Hire the primary architect for MM
37. Buy a new MacBook Pro
38. Open up a Groundswell73 investment for my godchildren
39. Family vacation in California
40. Increase our Faith-Promise Missions commitment
41. Get Maureen to DC
42. Do choir workshops in Georgia & Arkansas
43. Work with budding new soloists
44. Get reacquainted with my cousins
45. Attend the Brooklyn Tab Music Conference
46. Relearn Spanish
47. Pay off all credit card debt
48. Teach my kids about money
49. Learn forty new choir anthems
50. Remodel kitchen
51. Build a screened-in porch
52. Remodel master bath
53. Reconnect with my high school class
54. Plan a trip to Africa for 2011
55. Relearn sign language
56. Raise money for projection screens
57. Host a Summer Fine Arts Camp
58. Complete Graduate Course in Organizational Management
59. Plan a family reunion
60. Complete Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving
61. Host a regular Bible Study
62. Produce and publish a good choral arrangement
63. Go to a Cowboys game
64. See Mary Poppins in the summer at the Kennedy Center
65. Visit my extended family in Cincinnati
66. Convert 25 years of sermon cassette recordings to CD/mp3
67. Visit the Creation Museum in KY
68. Keep a daily journal
69. Write a really good song
70. Get a dog
71. Visit my dearest friends
72. Take the family to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
73. Learn to play the guitar
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Twenty Oh Nine In Review
See if you can come up with your ten. Warning! Might have to think really hard.
2009’s Most Significant…
1. Most Significant Blessing—The progress of the Miracle Mansion Project. Many people became partners in this venture through their confidence in me and the vision. This is an amazing and humbling reality for which I am ridiculously grateful. Groundsell73 was a God-given plan that makes me tremble with the realization of God’s goodness to me.
2. Most Significant Trial—My sickness and hospitalization in late April. I had never been really sick before so coming down with a severe infection and lymphedema was an ordeal. In retrospect and in light of what others go through, all of it was pretty mild. But at the time, the fact that I couldn’t go to church and that I was incapacitated and a burden to my family was extremely depressing. I hid it well, because I genuinely hate sympathy. But I went through a great deal of guilt and self-pity before I began to be grateful for what I later learned could have taken my life. God was good, so good, in spite of me.
3. Most Significant Lesson—I learned to prioritize this year. I’ve always tried to do everything, and, as a result, usually got little to nothing done. The art of delegation—haven’t mastered it yet, but I’m trying. I also began to prepare for what I believe God wants me to do in the future. Now if I could just conquer procrastination. Oh well, that’s for another day.
4. Most Significant Life Change—I developed a love for writing. Before, I always wrote out of necessity. This year it became my most rewarding pastime. TO BE CONTINUED…
5. Most Significant Purchase or Acquisition—This was not a big year for self or family spending, so I’m gonna go with the acquisition angle. My friend Wayne gave me a guitar on his birthday. That was pretty remarkable.
6. Most Significant Regret or Personal Failure—Quite a few of these. Didn’t improve my prayer life much over 2008. Didn’t lose weight. Got several speeding tickets. And those are just the ones I’m willing to talk about. Thankful for forgiveness and second chances.
7. Most Significant Accomplishment—This one took some thought. Listing perceived accomplishments sounds really arrogant. And I had to really think to come up with something. If there’s one thing I can say that I feel especially good about, it is the fact that we made the decision to bring the COEBA National Gathering back home to Crossroads this past year. It saved us tens of thousands of dollars and was a phenomenal meeting.
8. Most Significant New or Improved Relationship—This one’s really hard too because it tends to imply status levels. I can’t stop at one, and I’m sure I’ll regret it later. But I gained many new friends this year. Tommy Creek is one of the most encouraging people I’ve ever met. In fact, his whole family is amazing. Maureen Zinser (aka—“Mojo”) is an incredible, smart, kind and caring individual of whom I think the world. There were rekindled friendships too. For example, if I start talking about my “refound” friend, Erin Bruce, I’ll get emotional. God broke the mold with her. And Doug Schweitzer remains the epitome of a godly iron-sharpener. I wanna be like him when I grow up. Existing friendships got even stronger, like with Carl Jefferson who is my brother and closest confidant, Wayne Maynard who cheers and supports me like no other and Deke Green who I would trust with my life. My wife, my immediate family, my adopted daughter, Diana, and my godchildren are priceless and really don’t belong in this list. My singles here and around the country, well, I would give everything I have for them. Longtime and ongoing relationships are too numerous to name, and there is no need to catch feelings because I love you all so much and you are irreplaceable. (Not to mention, this is supposed to be about “new” friendships anyway!!!) So by that token, my most significant new friend of 2009 was Olivia Yates. Can’t describe what a blessing she's been. One in a million. I thank the Lord for OMY. Period.
9. Most Significant Event or Trip—My 40th birthday weekend in June was one of the most enjoyable events of my entire life. The overnighter at a French-style villa in Amish country with special people was a dream. Can’t wait until my next 40th birthday.
10. Most Significant Memory—Here again, maybe you can do it, but I honestly can’t come up with just one. Several things jump to the forefront of my mind: An Inauguration that was extremely surreal. Our Easter Sunrise Service when poor Jon passed out and scared us all. Lady Paysour’s Homegoing. Liv’s surprise party and accompanying trickeries. My all-night drive home from Atlanta in August. Watching church on my laptop while lying in a hospital bed on a Sunday morning. A barbecue at Pat Robertson’s house. A marvelous singles retreat—particularly one very late game night. Five intense conversations—one regrettable and troubling at the time, one that was five hours long and THE MOST hilarious ever, one where I explained an unconventional plan to a panel of astute businessmen who listened and agreed, one where I had to say “no” despite a strong appeal for me to say “yes”, and one where I did all the talking as the listener cringed in absolute discomfort. Lastly, I have to say that my trip to Montreal in December will not be soon forgotten.
A year of mountains and valleys, of new opportunities and new friends, of new starts and abrupt endings. Yet through it all, God's been good!
2009’s Most Significant…
1. Most Significant Blessing—The progress of the Miracle Mansion Project. Many people became partners in this venture through their confidence in me and the vision. This is an amazing and humbling reality for which I am ridiculously grateful. Groundsell73 was a God-given plan that makes me tremble with the realization of God’s goodness to me.
2. Most Significant Trial—My sickness and hospitalization in late April. I had never been really sick before so coming down with a severe infection and lymphedema was an ordeal. In retrospect and in light of what others go through, all of it was pretty mild. But at the time, the fact that I couldn’t go to church and that I was incapacitated and a burden to my family was extremely depressing. I hid it well, because I genuinely hate sympathy. But I went through a great deal of guilt and self-pity before I began to be grateful for what I later learned could have taken my life. God was good, so good, in spite of me.
3. Most Significant Lesson—I learned to prioritize this year. I’ve always tried to do everything, and, as a result, usually got little to nothing done. The art of delegation—haven’t mastered it yet, but I’m trying. I also began to prepare for what I believe God wants me to do in the future. Now if I could just conquer procrastination. Oh well, that’s for another day.
4. Most Significant Life Change—I developed a love for writing. Before, I always wrote out of necessity. This year it became my most rewarding pastime. TO BE CONTINUED…
5. Most Significant Purchase or Acquisition—This was not a big year for self or family spending, so I’m gonna go with the acquisition angle. My friend Wayne gave me a guitar on his birthday. That was pretty remarkable.
6. Most Significant Regret or Personal Failure—Quite a few of these. Didn’t improve my prayer life much over 2008. Didn’t lose weight. Got several speeding tickets. And those are just the ones I’m willing to talk about. Thankful for forgiveness and second chances.
7. Most Significant Accomplishment—This one took some thought. Listing perceived accomplishments sounds really arrogant. And I had to really think to come up with something. If there’s one thing I can say that I feel especially good about, it is the fact that we made the decision to bring the COEBA National Gathering back home to Crossroads this past year. It saved us tens of thousands of dollars and was a phenomenal meeting.
8. Most Significant New or Improved Relationship—This one’s really hard too because it tends to imply status levels. I can’t stop at one, and I’m sure I’ll regret it later. But I gained many new friends this year. Tommy Creek is one of the most encouraging people I’ve ever met. In fact, his whole family is amazing. Maureen Zinser (aka—“Mojo”) is an incredible, smart, kind and caring individual of whom I think the world. There were rekindled friendships too. For example, if I start talking about my “refound” friend, Erin Bruce, I’ll get emotional. God broke the mold with her. And Doug Schweitzer remains the epitome of a godly iron-sharpener. I wanna be like him when I grow up. Existing friendships got even stronger, like with Carl Jefferson who is my brother and closest confidant, Wayne Maynard who cheers and supports me like no other and Deke Green who I would trust with my life. My wife, my immediate family, my adopted daughter, Diana, and my godchildren are priceless and really don’t belong in this list. My singles here and around the country, well, I would give everything I have for them. Longtime and ongoing relationships are too numerous to name, and there is no need to catch feelings because I love you all so much and you are irreplaceable. (Not to mention, this is supposed to be about “new” friendships anyway!!!) So by that token, my most significant new friend of 2009 was Olivia Yates. Can’t describe what a blessing she's been. One in a million. I thank the Lord for OMY. Period.
9. Most Significant Event or Trip—My 40th birthday weekend in June was one of the most enjoyable events of my entire life. The overnighter at a French-style villa in Amish country with special people was a dream. Can’t wait until my next 40th birthday.
10. Most Significant Memory—Here again, maybe you can do it, but I honestly can’t come up with just one. Several things jump to the forefront of my mind: An Inauguration that was extremely surreal. Our Easter Sunrise Service when poor Jon passed out and scared us all. Lady Paysour’s Homegoing. Liv’s surprise party and accompanying trickeries. My all-night drive home from Atlanta in August. Watching church on my laptop while lying in a hospital bed on a Sunday morning. A barbecue at Pat Robertson’s house. A marvelous singles retreat—particularly one very late game night. Five intense conversations—one regrettable and troubling at the time, one that was five hours long and THE MOST hilarious ever, one where I explained an unconventional plan to a panel of astute businessmen who listened and agreed, one where I had to say “no” despite a strong appeal for me to say “yes”, and one where I did all the talking as the listener cringed in absolute discomfort. Lastly, I have to say that my trip to Montreal in December will not be soon forgotten.
A year of mountains and valleys, of new opportunities and new friends, of new starts and abrupt endings. Yet through it all, God's been good!
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