Imagine

Do you remember as a kid, lying in the grass and looking up at the clouds, imagining different things from the shapes of the clouds? A whale, a castle, maybe a unicorn. (Do kids do that anymore?)

When I was gowning up, my Mom would tell my sisters and me to go outside and play. "There's nothing to do," we'd say. "Use your imagination," was her usual retort. Use your imagination.

The Walt Disney Company has a division called Imagineering. It's main function is master planning, creative development and research. It boasts over 150 imagineers, who seek to blend creativity and innovative technological advancements to produce some of the world's most distinctive storytelling.

So what are you imagining these days? Are you using your creativity and even the technological tools that you have at your disposal to tell your story, a story, or perhaps His story?

Are you laying down in the grass and looking up at the clouds, allowing your imagination to work?

Stop And Hear The Music

A man sat at a Metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a three year old boy. His mother tugged him along hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only six people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.00 each.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the Metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

I wonder what else we are missing...

Searching For Creative Treasure, Part II

Last week I had a conversation with a colleague at the local Starbucks. I came away from our one-hour meeting with a renewed passion for creativity and even a few ideas for a project I was working on. Why? Because we engaged in conversation that drew creativity out of us.

We didn't spend all of our time talking about people or events. Rather, we exchanged ideas which in turn stimulated more ideas and our discussion was ripe with imaginative fruit, ready to be harvested.

I have always encouraged my musician children (two of which are now adults, one is about to be) to surround themselves with singers and musicians who are better then they are. Never be the best person in your band is a mantra I remind them often. Better, more creative players and singers challenge you and stretch you, bringing out from within you things that you didn't know were there.

So where am I going with this? I encourage you to engage in conversations with those who will stimulate your heart and mind to think, create and dream. Watch and ask questions of people who are better than you in your field of art and profession, especially those who demonstrate leadership qualities.

The treasure chest of ideas, thoughts and dreams is ready to be opened every time you dialogue with creative people. Lift the lid, look inside, and grab a handful of innovative treasure!

Searching For Creative Treasure

Where do you find your creativity? What stimulates your mind and heart to bring forth ideas? Where or who do you turn to for inspiration?

Sometimes the greatest ideas come from the simplest sources. Look around. What do you see? Listen. What do you hear? In your conversations, what is "striking a creative nerve" in you?

A few years ago I was asked to speak to a group of Youth Leaders. One of my topics was "101 Creative Ideas For Youth Ministry". I gave myself the challenge to come up with 101 new ideas to share. My goal was not to just share ideas, but to show that creative ideas can come to anyone, anywhere.

Here's what I did: I sat in my office, and using only what I had in my office (without reading some of my books full of creative ideas), I began to create a list of ideas. In just under two hours, I had 101 new ideas listed. I went back and wrote a brief description on how to use the idea to teach and minister to teenagers, and then I was ready.

You can find ideas. Just look, just listen, just think... just create!

iPhone Wedding

My second son, Zachariah, got married this past Saturday to Jessie. It was a huge milestone for my wife and myself, as our families and friends gathered to witness and celebrate the joining of this couple. All I can say, as I am still decompressing from the experience, is WOW!

It was an honor for me to officiate the wedding ceremony (which I did completely from my iPhone). Even Zack and his now-bride Jessie, who wrote their own vows, pulled out their iPhones to recite them to each other. It was the first all-iPhone wedding that I have ever seen. Very cool!

Continuing my desire to create, as well as to motivate and inspire others to create, I wrote a song to be played as a surprise during the reception for the Mother/Son dance. I wrote it while I was in India, and, when I returned, I knew I had only 10 days to record the music, secure a vocalist, get her into my studio in my house (without my wife or son knowing about it), recording, mixing and mastering (and get all this done while working and getting everything for the wedding). The finished product is a song called Let Go Of My Hand and you are welcome to listen by clicking here or the link on the right.

A huge weekend with an incredibly happy ending!

Is There Any Truth?

Here's an interesting fact: According to a poll done in 2008 by the Pew Research Center, only 18% of Americans believe all or most of what the New York Times publishes. (NYTIMES.COM / 2.13.09)

What does this tell us about Americans confidence in the news media outlets? Is there a greater percentage of Americans who believe what the television news reports? Is there any substantial confidence in anything that is considered fact or truth?

In our world, the terms fact and truth seem to be becoming more and more relative, with the foundation of this truth as liquid as quicksand.

How do we who live by Truth respond? We need to to model a deep conviction and adherence to the Truth, as opposed to a fluid and "qualified" standard.

We need to stand on our Standard.

A Wedding And A Farewell

Today is Monday, and later this afternoon I leave for the airport in Hyderabad to catch my flight back to U.S.A. It has been an incredible experience for me, this my fifth trip to India. The Spirit of the Lord has been strong as I have had the privilege to minister among the India people.

I did have one more ministry opportunity this morning, as I was asked by Pastor Daniel to participate in a wedding, giving an exhortation from the Word of God and then later pronouncing a blessing on the bride and groom, Anita and Moses Ramesh. This was a gypsy wedding, complete with native dress and dance. It was a great experience for me!

What made it even better was that just one week ago I had the privilege of baptizing Anita. So for me it was a double blessing, being involved in two major life events for her.

I thank the Lord for this opportunity to come and minister, and am looking forward to returning soon to India, my second home!

Busy Weekend Ministry

Saturday and Sunday proved to be busy days of ministry. Each month, Pastor Daniel holds a special outreach on the second Saturday. We had a great service here. I preached the Gospel, then we had a time of prayer for the people with needs.

Pictured here is a woman who had been experiencing rheumatoid arthritis in her body for over ten years. We prayed for her, and she testified that immediately her pain was gone! What an exciting time that afternoon. Hers was one of several testimonies where we saw the healing power of God touch broken lives.

On Sunday I was invited to speak at two different churches in Kazipet. A bit of speaking and shuttling was in order for me, as I spoke, prayed for and then immediately whisked by car to the other church. Whew!

Both churches were very open to this American and his stories, and both congregations responded to the message of salvation and encouragement.

The Indian people are very big on paying honor to guests, and what you see pictured is the 12th time I was "garlanded" and honored this trip. I am grateful that I am welcomed here, and that the message of salvation and hope that I bring is received.

Tomorrow I am participating in an Indian wedding, bringing the encouragement from God's Word to the bride and groom. Then, it's off to the airport for the long journey home.

Koya Wilderness Outreach

Friday began early as our team of five left Kazipet to travel into the wilderness interior of India. At first the roads were passable, but the more we traveled, the more we were met with rock-strewn "tracks", pitted with pot-holes (some big enough to swallow a cow with just it's head and shoulders showing). Several times we traveled for a few miles at no faster than 5 mph.

This is where the Koya villages are. The Koya are a virtually unreached people group that are beginning to hear about Jesus. Dirt floor houses with thatched roofs, some with only one or two brick walls, a single strand of power line to service the entire village stretched beween twisted, weathered poles. Dust two inches thick covering the roads that dissected the villages. An open-sided, thatched roofed structure that served as the church building. (Pictured. The pastor is a member of the first graduating class of the Bible School. His daughter shown in white is a member of the recently gracuated 10th class.)

Reaching these people and those like them is the heart of Pastor Daniel. That is why Immanuel's Bible Training Center in India exists: to raise up, train and release young men and women to go into places the Gospel has never been heard, and to make disciples of Jesus.

One of our team members was Dr. Joshua from Pastor Daniel's church. He served as the chief physician for medical camps that were inpromptutly set up at each of the three Koya villages where we stopped. (I had partnered with Dr. Joshua last May when we traveled to Jamu-Kashmir to hold medical camps among the poor village people there.) Here he patiently and lovingly saw the people who waited, giving a quick examination, dispensing pills or an injection, and then sending them to me to pray for them.

At two of the villages we conducted meetings where I was able to preach the Gospel to the lost, and encourage the believers. Then I would pray for the people individually, asking God to meet their physical and spiritual needs. Many gathered, many heard the Word of God, and many were touched by His power!

Fourteen hours, many kilometers, three villages, three medical camps, three ministry stations, two messages, and one powerful day!

Humble Settings, Hungry People

A dirt field, bare wires strung across dead trees, lights hung on a rusty nail, a rustic stage, a makeshift pulpit... The last three evenings have been held in villages, two of them out under the stars. The team set up a portable P.A. system and a keyboard, and when the worship began people gathered from all around.

A few times the power went out and we raised our voices and preached with two penlights illuminating us. But people heard the Gospel and people committed their lives to Jesus!

The work that the pastors are doing in the small villages is very important. There is no other Christian influence, and the Kingdom is growing because of their labor.

I counted it a privilege to minister in such difficult circumstances to such hungry people. Tomorrow we get up early to travel to a Koya village (a half-days drive over some very difficult terrain). I know it will be great day of ministry! Thank you for sharing in it with me as you follow this Blog.

India Video!