Sometimes I thank God for Unanswered Prayers! Merry Christmas

First, I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas and holiday season.  And while Christmas is THE time to be with family, this year I won't be.  I'm not complaining, not one single bit.  But my family really comes together every other year, and this is the off year.  I could have gotten together with some family for sure, but it just seemed like this year, being in my home was going to be a good thing.  For one, I'm working tonight at the Virginia Theater where I'm one of the event managers.  The 1st. Presbyterian Church has a service there tonight and I will be one of the "hosts."  I'm happy I can help someone else take the night off and enjoy.  And after that my own church has 5 services, three tonight and two tomorrow.  I'm going to volunteer at two at least and maybe 3 or 4.  One of the downsides of always "going away" for Christmas is that I miss the services with my church family.  There are many there I love dearly and I'm just happy I can share this special time with them.  Tomorrow I have dinner plans with another special family in town and I know that will be fun as well.

So, this has been an amazing past 30 days for me.  I refinanced my house and credit card debt, thanks largely to the full time status I enjoy at work.  All in all I moved from over 6.75+ in interest alone to 3.5% interest.  Most importantly, the payments are 1/3 of what I was paying just last month.  Freeing up that cash allowed me to buy a new car.  I know, I should just save some money for a change, but truth be told, I have nursed my old car for 3 years longer than it should have run.  I got 195,000 from the Mountaineer in 14 years.  I drove it to Maine, and Texas, and Louisiana, and Georgia and many states in between.  It was a wonderful car, but it needed to retire!

In it's' place I got a new...yes new, Ford Fusion.  I had planned to buy used, but again, the offers for a new car are so good it's hard to pass up.  100,000/7 year warranty, 0% interest and no money down.  Oh, and free oil changes and tire rotation for 3 years.  That's amazing.  Just shows how the auto industry has to work hard to make deals.  I love the car and I'm know that my dad is smiling in heaven as I'll continue to drive a Ford for several more years.

I got a paycheck yesterday, and don't have any bills to pay.  I don't remember the last time that happened.  I'll have mortgage payments and car payments again next month, but for now...I'll just enjoy having money in my bank account.

So, this year will end on an up note and I'll thank God for answering my prayers.  There were a few unanswered ones in the past few years, but I see now that was just a lesson in patience God was teaching me .  Reminds me of one of my favorite Garth Brooks songs:

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

Merry Christmas everyone. 



You know your life is back together when you can afford new underwear!

"Itch" Jones was the baseball coach at Southern Illinois University and at the University of Illinois for over 30 years.  I had the true pleasure of working for Itch for 3 years at Illinois.  One of the things he would say to the players when things weren't going right was "you think playing a game, like baseball is hard?  Hard is when you have a house with a mortgage, a family with bills and you have lost your job."  "Hard is figuring out how you are going to get your next meal when you only have pennies in your pocket."  "Hitting a baseball is not hard."

I didn't really get that when he said it.  I mean at the time I had always had a job.  Always been able to pay my bills.  Pretty much always been able to do whatever I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it.  Not working was a function of not wanting to work, and not making enough money meant you weren't trying hard enough. 

And then the year 2007 hit me square in the face.  I started the year working for a residential management company that was building a new dorm on campus.  It was a great job, and add to that I was working part time in real estate and making extra cash as a referee.  About April my father's condition deteriorated.  This weighed on my mind constantly as our family tried to decide the proper care going forward.   I had a few other distractions as well, and eventually the company decided to "go another direction."  So I went back to real estate full time. 

A few weeks later my father passed away.  A month after that the stock market collapsed.  And by Christmas it became evident the real estate business was headed into a tailspin.  And so began a nearly 3 year change of lifestyle.  It's amazing when you really have to "watch your pennies" how some things just don't become important anymore.  Over the next two years I would cancel home phone service, Internet, subsciptions, and find a way where ever I could to cut back my expenses.  I had some good months and some bad months.  The bad months were often funding with my credit cards, and like a Vegas gambler I thought my next big sale would pay off the debt.

The next big sale didn't come, although I had enough smaller sales to pay the bills.  Over time I took on 4 part time jobs.  I was very fortunate that people with whom I had volunteered in the past offered me part time positions, getting paid, in areas of they controlled.  And it was enough to get by. 

So here I am four years later, head still above water, and still managing to get by.  A few weeks ago our managing broker offered me a salary position with benefits.  It truly was the answer to my prayers.  In fact I had prayed often during this time, putting my full faith in God that things would work out.  And they did.

So, a few weeks ago I did something I haven't done in more than 3 years.  I went out an bought some new underwear.  My old stuff, and trust me I had a lot of it, was finally wearing out.  And I was down to my last 5 or 6 pair.  There is something now about opening a new package of boxers that makes me feel things are ok now.  Funny, because in the past, I took it for granted.  When you take time to step back and really look at where you life as led you, the things that seem like a given can become a celebration.

Some people just have it figured out. Cub's starter Randy Wells Give Back

Randy Wells



char·i·ty (chr-t)
n. pl. char·i·ties
1. Provision of help or relief to the poor; almsgiving.
2. Something given to help the needy; alms.
3. An institution, organization, or fund established to help the needy.

If you aren't a baseball fan, or maybe a casual fan you may not recognize the name Randy Wells.  He is the third or fourth starter for the Chicago Cubs.  He posted the definition of charity on a Facebook page yesterday.  I think we all need a reminder that no matter how far we rise in our lives, we need to remember there are many who need help just to get by.  Randy remembers this, and demonstrates it on a regular basis.

I first met Randy when he was about 8 years old.  His older brother Forry played for the University of Illinois in both football, where he was a qb/punter and pitcher, 1st base, catcher, outfielder in baseball.  Forry was no doubt one of my favorite players I worked with and came from a family deeply rooted in the values you would hope all young men and women display.  Forry is a true "older" brother, 10 or 12 years older than Randy.  And like many younger brothers, Randy loved to watch Forry play, love to come to the park and play catch and hit in the batting cages and loved it when we asked him to be in the dugout as bat boy. 

Here's a photo with Randy on the far right, and his grandmother, mom, dad and brothers at senior day.

When Randy was called up to the Cubs, one of the first things he did was send out a note to all his friends inviting them to Belleville after the season for a fund raiser.  A friend of his has a sister with juvenile diabetes, and he was committed to helping.  He did, and has held a similar outing each of the past 3 years.  Several hundred thousand have been raised to date with more certainly to come. 

But he hasn't just made a commitment to this project.  The Randy Wells Foundation has fund raisers throughout the year for many causes.  He held Boot Bash in October along with country music pal Stoney LaRue, supporting vets returning from battle.  He has raised money for the Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital, the Wounded Warriors Project and lent a hand to many other events showing up or donating to the cause.  I'm going to borrow a paragraph from his foundation website because it captures Randy's heart better than I could ever hope to.

Playing for the major leagues is a dream that Randy Wells lives out every day.  On the mound, Wells' main focus is concentrated on strikeouts. Off the mound, the major leaguer makes it a priority to strikeout obstacles that prevent children from achieving their dreams. He was forever changed after meeting five-year old brain cancer patient Carter Kettner. “Here was this boy who showed no signs of what he was going through.  His perseverance against these physical struggles was such an inspiration,” says Wells of the encounter with Kettner. “The fact that the team was able to brighten his day just touched me in a special way.” Randy developed a friendship with the Kettners. Sadly, things were put into perspective for Wells after Carter lost his battle to cancer in May of 2010. “I just realized there were a lot of kids out there like Carter who needed support and care day in and day out,” says Wells.

Here is a link to his foundation website:  http://www.randywellsfoundation.org/

A long time ago, maybe just maybe I helped 8 year old Randy touch his dreams for a day when we suited him up in a batboy uniform.  And while that doesn't even come close to the kind of things Randy has done for young men like Carter, it's a reminder that each of us have a obligation to do what we can, when we can. 

Thank you Randy for reminding us all that not every professional athlete is self centered and uncaring.  You are a hero to many, especially me!

Starfish on the Beach

So if you read my last blog you might ask if today's generation is so difficult to work with, why then do I continue to do it?  Well, in part it's because I'm mentally deranged.  I am certain my family and friends universally support that statement.  But in larger part it's because for every 100 or so young people you struggle to help move forward there is one who makes it all worth while.  There are some truly amazing young people just outside your door.  I'm not going to lead you on by saying that every kid I work with is amazing.  Most, in fact, are blatantly average.  Young people mostly tolerate adults, because in part they are a means to an end.  "This adult can help me get a job, help me get my project done, help me get my community service hours...etc."

But...then you meet that special kid.  The one with the wide eyes and the giving hearts.  And you quickly realize that this kid might just think what you have to say is meaningful.  That maybe you know something that might be useful.  And that maybe, just maybe,  if you spend some time together the world might be a little better for it. 

I want to introduce you to 4 I have worked with in the past 5 years or so.

Ari was an excellent high school athlete.  Somewhere along the way when he was competing in a lacrosse in high school he caught a lacrosse ball...in his throat.  Now this isn't necessarily the best place to catch a lacrosse ball.  And he lived with the after effects for quite some time.  He had several medical issues as a result, including reoccurring seizures.  His athletic days were over.  Faced with these types of problems, some would cash it in.  Take an hourly job just to get by.  Not Ari.  He refocused his life and his energy towards being the best he could be.

Now most people are good at recognizing problems, flaws in the system and spend most of their lives complaining about what's wrong with the world they live in.  Ari certainly sees the problems, but unlike most, he has the ability to see the solutions. And not just the simple solution.  Ari solves problems multi-dimensionally.  He is a leader who can see OZ and every brick in the yellow brick road.  I had the pleasure of working with him as he tackled the local fraternity issues relating to recruiting, scholarship and fraternity education.  And he was destined to be President of the chapter until another seizure pulled him back another notch, requiring him to give his full attention to academics and graduation.  I often wonder what mountains we may have climbed had Ari been at his full abilities for the 4 years he was an undergraduate.  But I'm thankful our paths crossed for the time they did. 

Grant comes from a small town in west central Illinois.  Champaign was the big city for him and full of opportunities.  As a sophomore he and another student had the idea to start a philanthropy benefiting the youth in our community by providing scholarships to summer park district camp programs.  Our park districts have amazing programs in the arts, sports and education but of course not every student can afford to attend.  Grant had a vision to run a rock, paper, scissors contest on campus.  After working on it for several months, a serious road block lay in front of him to complete his mission.  We went to dinner and he spelled out the high hurdle he was facing.  We discussed it, he set a new course, and in the end his group raised more than $20,000 for the project.  It wasn't the project that impressed me so much as his resolve to find another path.  We forget sometimes that God puts road blocks in our path, not necessarily to stop us, but to make us rethink our approach and find better solutions. 

A few years later Grant had another vision.  Grant was three years into his undergraduate degree on his way to medical school.  He met with me to tell me about his plan to provide medical services to the lower income families in our county.  There were tests he could run on locals helping them to identify the potential for blood, heart and other ailments.  In order to get this done he needed to figure out a source for supplies as well as develop a network to conduct the testing.  I connected him to several churches and mission groups who dealt with the community he had envisioned reaching.  Over the course of the next two years he served hundreds.  And as a senior the Governor of the state recognized his efforts.  It's one thing to have vision, it's entirely another thing to selflessly transform visions into reality.  Ironically he is another who I hoped would be the leader of our fraternity, however why lead 100 men when you can save hundreds of lives? 

Eli and I crossed paths when he was a junior in high school.  As VP of the school's Interact club he was charged to organize and run the annual community service day in memory of a student slain in the Virginia Tech shootings.  I'm fairly confident Eli thought this would be a matter of putting together the pieces of a simple puzzle into the right form.  Little did he know the challenges in front of him. 

Certainly the pieces of the puzzle lay in front of him, however fitting them together was a far harder puzzle than he ever imagined.  He took on the role of contacting every agency we would serve.  He developed relationships with businessmen, volunteers, news media and his fellow students as well.  I'm fairly confident failure was not an option for Eli.  And through relentless determination he was able to gather more than 15 projects for 150 volunteers to work on.  He has the uncanny ability to deal with stressful situations as calmly as if he were sailing on a gentle ocean breeze.  And in that lies the secret of his success.  Successful leaders deal with stress like the rest of us deal with which channel to watch on tv.  When they see something they don't like, they simply flip to another station and move forward. 

When I meet kids who are Eagle Scouts or golf caddies, I know I probably won't be disappointed.  Eagle Scouts spend most of their youth reaching for stars most of their peers have long ago stopped even looking at.  I know I was a boy scout for about two years, then discovered baseball, football, basketball and high school.  Eagle Scouts dedicate themselves to achieving high goals and then spend a good portion of their lives achieving those goals.  Then there are golf caddies.  There are easier ways to make a living that hauling 50+ pound golf bags several miles a day.  Kids who caddy see the good and the bad of life.  They witness character flaws exaggerated as that tiny white ball flies off a club head to small hole on the horizon.  For some, caddying is just a job.  For others, it's a college level course in psychology.  They watch, they listen, they grow and they react to the people who own the bags they are carrying.

Nathan was a caddy in high school and college.  He would carry two bags at once when he could so he could earn a double fee.  I met him as a freshman.  He was as naive as an 18 year old could be.  His vision of life stretched barely beyond his nose.  And when we first met he was trying to move himself forward in the fraternity.  With his golf background he envisioned an alumni tournament at a nice course with proceeds going to the Acheson Endowment Scholarship, a fund near and dear to my heart.  He delivered on this project, raising more than $5000 for the charity.  And somewhere along the way he discovered doing things that help other people can be fun.

A year later Nathan wanted to attend our national fraternity convention.  I was national director of philanthropy at the time and our convention was in New Orleans.  As this was the summer after Katrina we arranged to spend a day with the 500+ attending undergraduates working on the Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village.  Nathan rode with me to New Orleans, meaning he had to get there in time for the Habitat project.  He was somewhat reluctant, but willing to follow my lead.  He spent the day in the rafters of the house we were working on.  It was 100 degrees with humidity in the high range.  Miserable was an understatement.  It was hard not to be moved as you walked around the 9th ward and saw the writings on each home with the numbers of the dead from the aftermath of the hurricane.  But, Nathan got the community service bug that day.  He met the family who would start a new life and move into this house.  He came to the realization he could take a little of his time and change the lives of the people around him.  On the drive home he spoke non stop about the potential for organizing his friends to go back to New Orleans to continue to help those in need. Over the next two winter break Nathan organized groups to go back to New Orleans on work to help those still suffering.  These were people he did not know, and probably won't meet again in his lifetime.  But he knew he could give his time and change lives. 

When he graduated from college Nathan joined the Peace Corp.  He has spent the past two years in a small village in southern Africa teaching students about computers and math and music and life.  He now thinks about others long before he things about himself.  And I'm humbled I played a role in the lives he continues to change.

On my wall at home is a poem.  I'm sure you may have read it, but it really summarizes why I do what I do. 

The Starfish StoryOriginal Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. 

Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"

The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out.  If I don't throw them back, they'll die."

'"Son" the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said
"I made a difference for that one."

So, why do I do what I do?  Because Ari and Grant and Eli and Nathan were just a few of the 'starfish' I have been able to throw back in my life. 

A Look at the "Entitlement Generation"

Back to school time is always a busy time for me as several of the student groups I work with set their plans for the upcoming school year.  We sit down and look at what went well last year and what didn't go so well and then try to come up with a plan for doing it better this year.  Now if you are in business this is something you do annually and probably even more often that that.  But for students, this is monumental.  The setting plans for the coming year isn't so hard, but the reviewing the results of last year is more painful than going to the dentist's office and pulling teeth without any Novocaine or pain killers!

Today's generation doesn't want to be held accountable for anything.  If they show up, that's good enough.  I"m thinking about a speech a friend of mine gives to student groups where he laments about all the "participation trophies" his son has on the wall.  When we were growing up, we got trophies for excellence: Winning the championship, achieving the MVP status or some other relevant achievement.  Kids today get trophies for just showing up.  "You were on the team, thank you, here's your trophy." And while showing up is certainly important for the success of any organization, whether a team or a extra-curricular group, it's not the most important thing. 

This generation really shys away from dealing with "tough" situations.  In part their parents have been so protective of them that these kids haven't learned the lessons they need to learn from failure. And as they don't want to deal with the possibility of failure, they often just let the problems continue to exist.   It is as if the stigma of failing is so great that today's youth are afraid to open the door to success.  NBA Great Michael Jordan says it best:

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.

And comedian Bill Cosby adds:

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

In part I think one of the biggest frustrations teachers, advisors and mentors face today is that our youth just do not want to be held accountable for their mistakes when they do try and fail.  And not only do they not want to be faced with their own failure, they especially don't want to hold their peer group to mistakes they might make.  It's as if holding others to a higher standard might somehow create a higher standard for themselves they can't attain. 

Imagine a mountain climber who comes close to the peak, but doesn't quite make it to the top.  And then every other mountain climber saying, "that's just too tough!"   We all know that is not how life works.  Especially in mountain climbing.  One person's failure is another person's opportunity. 

In an article in WORLDmag.com, Anthony Bradley writes:
If the going gets tough, quit. One could also name this group the “Quitter Generation.” Virtues like patience and perseverance are absent from many in this age bracket. Coddled by affluence and sinfully flattered by parents and nice-guy teachers using speech meant not to hurt a child’s “feelings” or damage “self-esteem,” coupled with parents that refuse to let their children fail at anything, this generation bails quickly when the going gets tough or if there’s no guarantee for success. I had a student drop one of my classes once because he realized that he wasn’t going to receive an A. I’ve known students to give up and fail a class after receiving a series of bad grades instead of buckling down and working harder to raise their grades. It’s pathetic. 

Bradley's reference to coddling hits home with me.  There are so many age 16-21 who need hand holding to accomplish even the most basic tasks.  And if they get a little pouty you can be sure an adult will come and wipe their tears away and "make things better."  I can't imagine my high school coaches, teachers or my father treating me this way. 

So part of the frustration is that our youth doesn't "practice failing."  Learning how to fail and accepting that sometimes things just don't go right helps you become more accountable for failure.  Imagine a baseball player going into a deep funk everytime he made an out.  The best hitters ever were only successful 2 out of 5 attempts.  And the average player  has one of 4 successes.  People make mistakes.  Everyone who knows me knows I have made my share of mistakes.  Abraham Lincoln's life is a true inspiration to me.  I have this on my wall at work:

In 1831, Abraham Lincoln failed in a business venture.

In 1832, Lincoln was defeated as a candidate for the state legislature.

In 1833, Lincoln failed once again in another business venture.

In 1835, Lincoln's fiancee died, shattering him.

In 1836, Lincoln suffered a nervous breakdown.

In 1843, Lincoln was defeated as a candidate for the U.S. Congress.

In 1848, Lincoln once again was defeated as a candidate for the U.S. Congress.

In 1855, Lincoln was defeated as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

In 1856, Lincoln was defeated as a candidate for U.S. Vice President.

In 1859, Lincoln once again was defeated as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States of America.

Can you imagine the roller coaster his life must have been?  And he summed it up better than I ever could:

Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.    
  - Abraham Lincoln -

So I guess my thought for today is don't be afraid to try.  Don't be afraid to fail.  And don't be afraid to try again. 


Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt

26 years ago...hanging with Willie, John Cougar, BB, Johnny and the rest of the Farm Aid Gang

So somewhere just off stage to the left in the picture I was hanging out with a lot of fun people.  It was the very first Farm Aid concert and it was held at Memorial Stadium on September 22, 1985.  I was fresh off the Michael Jackson tour and got assigned to negotiate a sponsorship with the organizers of Farm Aid. 

Most of you weren't born in 1985, so let me give a little historical perspective.  The advent of cable tv brought the possibility of a few international "telethon"/"monster concerts".  Networks had hours of free air time they had to fill and the mega concert was a great way to fill the air and raise money while they were at it.  Live Aid and Farm Aid were the first of the Mega Concerts.  And Farm Aid was truly MEGA. 

I got to thinking about this largely because B.B. King is in town tonight and I got to spend several hours with BB backstage.  More about him later, but just let me say he was one of the most gracious to appear at the event.

As I said I was assigned to negotiate a sponsorship with the Farm Aid organizers.  I was working for Pepsi at the time.  Pepsi owned the pouring rights at Memorial Stadium but wanted to get some visibility at the concert.  Farm Aid was to be broadcast from start to finish on several cable networks and there were evening live feeds scheduled on the major networks.  Pepsico wanted to be "seen". 

At the time, Memorial Stadium was the largest outdoor venue in the country.  The seating configuration allowed for a stage to be set on the north end of the stadium and with the field seating there were more than 80,000 seats to be sold.  So it was an attractive venue and over time many major touring acts, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones to name a few, all tried to negotiate concerts there.  Only Farm Aid was successful. 

So in my first meeting with "Farm Aid" I walk into a suite at the old Chancellor's Hotel and sitting at the table were John Tyson of Tyson Foods, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp.  Talk about star struck!  My goal was to get prominent Pepsi banners on the stage.  I had $30,000 to spend and the amount I gave was contingent on the exposure.  It was an interesting series of negotiations, Mellencamp wanted NO signs; Nelson and Tyson wanted ALL the money.  We came to a happy medium, for $20,000 every performer who brought a drink on stage had to bring it out in a Pepsi Cup.  Whether they were drinking Pepsi or not. 

That done we worked with Tyson Foods to maximize our exposure.  Tyson built a travelling kitchen to feed all the performers and the staff supporting the concert.  I'm guessing there were more than 3000 volunteers the day of the event.  Between feeding the entertainers, volunteers, stage hands, and support staff, it was a major undertaking.  And truthfully the kitchens opened a few days before the event as it took more than a week to set it all up. 

I was set up stage right in a tent loaded with Pepsi and Budweiser products.  My job, enforce the "Pepsi Cup only" policy.  I must say, it was an easy job!  :)  When you are the keeper of 100's of cases of beer at an outdoor festival you gain a certain degree of notoriety.  And the majority of the performers came by "just to say hello" and grab a beer too. 

Our station was set up for the dress rehearsal the night before.  A private event, this was the most fun for me of the whole event.  Performers came by to check their set ups, talk to the sound engineers and just get a feel for the event.  Bob Dylan, Hall and Oates, Nelson, Neil Young, Mellencamp and many others played during the rehearsal.  However, what made it especially fun was the rehearsal for Van Halen.  Sammy Hagar had recently joined Van Halen and this was their first live performance.  They rehearsed for over an hour, playing lots of music they didn't play at the concert.  It was great music in a very casual setting with about 100 on lookers.

The next morning things started early.  At about 8 AM Willie jumped on stage and Arlo Guthrie joined him singing "Good Morning America."  A perfect start.  Jon Bon Jovi, only about 25 at the time, was next and he was about 50 feet off the ground with excitement.  He was mostly unknown at the time and was on fire singing before what he called "more people than he had ever sang to in his life...combined.."

Backstage I stayed the whole day.  Johnny Cash came in and politely asked me for 10 cases of beer to take back to his bus.  Mike Love from the Beach Boys was gracious.  Sissy Spacek and Timothy Hutton hung out a long time.  And virtually everyone you can name, from Tom Petty to George Jones, stopped by and said hello and grabbed something to drink.

Three special memories stand out though.  John Denver was just standing around taking it all in.  He was a joy to talk to and share with.  I was a huge JD fan in high school and college.  So meeting him was everything I would hope.

Ken Kragen and I talked for over an hour.  I'm sure you don't know who he is, but he was Harry Chapin's agent in Harry's last few years.  Ken was Kenny Rogers agent, and was there for Kenny's appearance.  And as you may know Harry had died the summer before.  So we had fun sharing "Harry stories" and while we had only spoken on the phone in the past, we started a great friendship.

Finally BB King was the last of the best memories.  BB even then had a hard time getting around.  BB found a chair in our tent and with all the cold beer at hand, he settled in for a few hours.  Everyone came in to say hello to this legend.  BB is loved by all and he loves them all back.  I totally enjoyed hanging with him a good chunk of the day.  Running for food for him and getting him a golf cart to take him around when he needed to play.  There was a cover photo after the event with BB on the cover surrounded by a lot of celebs they shot next to my tent.  I'm sure the photographer saw the crowd BB was drawing and had the idea for the shoot.

I don't remember many regrets from the event.  I know I wanted to meet Billy Joel as he was one of my favorites, but he snuck by.  And I didn't see a lot from the front, but saw most of what I wanted to see.  I think they were able to raise over $9 million at this event and Willie, Mellencamp, Young and now Dave Mathews have kept it alive all these years.  Here is a list of the performers, most of whom I met, but as I said, not all:

Artists performing at the First Farm Aid concert included: Alabama, Hoyt Axton, The Beach Boys, Jon Bon Jovi, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, John Conlee, Charlie Daniels Band, John Denver, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Foreigner, Vince Gill, Arlo Guthrie, Sammy Hagar, Merle Haggard, Daryl Hall, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, George Jones, Rickie Lee Jones, B.B. King, Carole King, Kris Kristofferson, Huey Lewis, Loretta Lynn, John Mellencamp, Roger Miller, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Charley Pride, Lou Reed, Kenny Rogers, Brian Setzer, Sissy Spacek, Tanya Tucker, Eddie Van Halen, Debra Winger, Neil Young.

Learning about life through music, the Jackson Browne method.

I posted so much during our mission trip I needed a blog vacation.  Consider it over!  :)  I've always had a passion for a well written lyric.  Growing up I played music by Carole King, James Taylor, Paul McCartney and Harry Chapin over and over.  I'm not here to judge music as it's written today and I'm certain there are still great lyricists out there, but for some reason the 70's gave birth to an amazing collection of song writers.  Maybe it was the influence of Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, John Denver and others in the 60's.  The 70's were a special era of artists who wrote with meaning. 

I would spend hours listening to America, Carole King's Tapesty, The Beatles Sgt. Pepper and any James Taylor album.  And when I went off to college I took this well worn vinyl collection with me.  You couldn't be around me long without learning I listened to music all day.  When I ate, studied and even slept.  And it was during my first year in college I discovered Dan Fogelberg and Harry Chapin.  A close friend of mine who witnessed my obsession with song writers suggested I give Jackson Browne a try.  This was perhaps the single most influential suggestion anyone has given me in my life. 


I can't even imagine how many hours I have spent listening to Jackson Browne music in my life.  Certainly it is in the 1000's of hours.  Not that I'm obsessed with it mind you.  But, when I need a lift, or need to think, I put his music on my ipod.  And no matter how many times I hear the songs, I get new things out of the lyrics.  His music has helped me through a lot of  rough times in my life.  He says it best, his songs  "start with despair and offer glimpses of hope or are hopeful and end in despair."  I love that analysis!  But they are much more than that.  He crafts words like Michalangelo paints.  Every syllable, every word, every thought has a purpose.  I imagine him endlessly rewriting songs to that the exact meaning he wants to send is there. 

But enough of my words, let me share some of his best. 

Jackson on finding a life while hating your job: (The Pretender)
I'm gonna be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
where true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the Pretender.
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender

Jackson on finding purpose in life:  (Bright Baby Blues)
I'm sitting down by the highway
Down by that highway side
Everybody's going somewhere
Riding just as fast as they can ride
I guess they've got a lot to do
Before they can rest assured
Their lives are justified
Pray to God for me baby
He can let me slide


'Cause I've been up and down this highway
Far as my eyes can see
No matter how fast I run
I can never seem to get away from me
No matter where I am
I can't help feeling I'm just a day away
From where I want to be
Now I'm running home baby
Like a river to the sea


Jackson on dealing with death:  (For a Dancer)
I don't know what happens when people die
Can't seem to grasp it as hard as I try
It's like a song I can hear playing right in my ear
That I can't sing
I can't help listening
I can't help feeling stupid standing 'round
Crying as they ease you down
'Cause I know that you'd rather we were dancing
Dancing our sorrow away

And probably my favorite song of all time due to it's layers of meaning and imagination:

Jackson on lost love"  (Sky Blue and Black)
I hear the sound of the world where we played
And the far too simple beauty
Of the promises we made


If you ever need holding
Call my name, I'll be there
If you ever need holding
And no holding back, I'll see you through
Sky blue and black


Where the touch of the lover ends
And the soul of the friend begins
There's a need to be separate and a need to be one
And a struggle neither wins
Where you gave me the world I was in
And a place I could make a stand
I could never see how you doubted me
When I'd let go of your hand


Yeah, and I was much younger then
And I must have thought that I would know
If things were going to end


And the heavens were rolling
Like a wheel on a track
And our sky was unfolding
And it'll never fold back
Sky blue and black


And I'd have fought the world for you
If I thought that you wanted me to
Or put aside what was true or untrue
If I'd known that's what you needed
What you needed me to do


But the moment has passed by me now
To have put away my pride
And just come through for you somehow


If you ever need holding
Call my name, I'll be there
If you ever need holding
And no holding back, I'll see you through


You're the color of the sky
Reflected in each store-front window pane
You're the whispering and the sighing
Of my tires in the rain
You're the hidden cost and the thing that's lost
In everything I do
Yeah and I'll never stop looking for you
In the sunlight and the shadows
And the faces on the avenue
That's the way love is
That's the way love is
That's the way love is
Sky blue and black

When I hear this line "You're the whispering and the sighing of my tires in the rain" I just listen in wonder at how Browne came up with it.  But, that's what I love about his music, he makes me dream and imagine things I've never dreamed or imagined before

Thanks Rob, for suggesting I listen to his albums.  It's truly an act of kindness that changed my life in many ways.

Rocky Mountain Mission Trip, Last day in Colorado and overall recap

This photo captures the emotions of week for the group who traveled to Colorado.  It was a wonderful week filled with the accomplishments of new relationships and friendships built, work completed for the YMCA of the Rockies and most importantly, a spiritual growth for all who attended. 

Every mission trip is different.  Different personalities, different facilities to stay in, different projects.  This project was more different than the rest.  We had beds to sleep in, food prepared for us and wonderful activities planned to fill in the gaps.  And while that sounds heavenly, it presents a new challenge to all of us as one of our primary objectives is to provide opportunities for relationships between the youth to grow.  Left to themselves, they would hang out with with their friends from home and many would not make new friends.  As I said in an earlier blog, working together opens the door for those relationships to build.  Somehow sacrificing with rough sleeping conditions and eating accommodations deepen those bonds.  But despite the "comfort",  bonds grew and seeds to friendships were planted.

Friday was a free day for everyone.  The primary activities for the day were the high ropes course and hiking.  I went with a group who hiked up 9 Mile Mountain.  It was a wonderful, sunny morning.  We hiked through flowers, trees, rivers... it was a spectacular way to start the day.  Jim Olson led our group up the trail.  Jim is one of the primary mission trip organizers.  He is from Macomb and serves the role of assigning tasks for the day and developing the schedule.  It's a thankless job as many would rather be "somewhere else" than where they are assigned.  Jim has a gift for making sure everyone is happy doing their jobs, even if there aren't.  :)

Jim is also a master trail blazer!  He loves to lead us, whether it is to one of the projects we are finishing or up a mountain.  I love spending time with him, his son Eric and his daughter Rachel.  They reflect our overall mission of creating opportunities for our youth to grow closer to God.  It's in their eyes and in their spirit. 

This photo is Jim and Rachel Olson at the top of 9 Mile Mountain. 

I spent Friday afternoon with my 4 amigos, Philip, Sam, Wes and Cordell.  We had decided to pass on the high ropes course, largely because Sam has a leg injury from baseball, I didn't want to risk injuring my back, and Cordell just didn't feel comfortable with the whole concept.  Most of our students and adults took on the challenge of high ropes and had a great experience.  It truly tested many and reminded many of our favorite scripture, Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  There was a leap of faith and a wonderful team building ladder.  High ropes courses are wonderful for helping people overcome their fears together.  And this was a great addition to our trip.

Another group took the "hard hike" up Stone Mountain and scaled it's 5 peaks.  Each of them reported it as being a magical trek through nature.  Jim McClary led this event, and many of us joked Jim would want to "set a new record for speed to the top."  He reported to me later he had "set the record."  Jim is a wonderful pastor, who has helped me and many others grow in our faith and in our relationships with God.  But, he is someone who likes to win!  And I had this vision his trail blazing would be at a bit faster pace than our trip up the mountain.

Friday evening was reserved for the "take away" worship.  Spending the week working and growing in faith is always rewarding, but sometimes it's hard for everyone to transition into what to do next.  I've been to many sales conventions with inspirational speakers who plant seeds on "how to be better in life."  Then I get home and forget a lot of what I learned, or don't know how to take the first or next step.  I'm sure many have had the same experience.  This happens with mission trips as well.  It's my hope we build strong relationships between the youth, so that when they get back and stumble, they have someone to call or someone to lean on so they can continue to grow in their faith and use the tools we have provided.

Derrick Johnson led the final worship setting.  We were in an area on the complex carved out for fireside worship.  Log seating, with a fire pit in front looking our over a background of the sun setting on the Rocky Mountains.  Not a bad back drop if I say so myself.  Now it's pretty hard to pull a fast one on our mission trip leaders, Scott, Jim and Jim, but Derrick did just that.  His message was about compassion, and the importance of having compassion for your friends, your family and even for people you don't know as you walk through life.  And before he got too far along in the message, he asked Jim, Jim and Scott to come to the front of the gathering and asked the other 48 of us to take out the lyrics he had prepared.  The group, led by Rachel, Katie, Ben and few others sang "Thank You", a wonderful tribute to these men who work so hard to bring us all closer to the Lord.  Here is just a snippet of the lyrics that capture the spirit.

You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start
And one day when you said that prayer
I asked Jesus in my heart

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

It was a wonderful tribute to 3 amazing men.  And there wasn't a dry eye in the group.

Derrick invited 5 of our youth to come up and discuss examples of compassion in their lives.  Vince spoke about a time when a new student from overseas came to his school.  As this young man came from a different culture, the others in the school ignored him or made fun of him.  Vince befriended him instead and they became life long friends.  A great reminder that "different" can open new doors and lead to lasting friendships.   Lexa and Jill talked about friends supporting each other when they lost loved ones.  Cordel talked about the 3 amigos coming and playing cards with him while he was taking his twice daily treatments for cystic fibrosis, Wes talked about his father supporting him after Wes was diagnosed with leukemia at age 3.  It was a moving experience to hear each of these young men and women talk about how even the most simple jester had a lasting impact on their lives. 

And tears were flowing as Derrick talked about how a simple invitation to play a kids game by the "besties" had changed his life forever.  That story resulted in a waterfall of tears that didn't subside until early the next morning.  It was a great reminder how each of us can make a difference in the lives of others every day, just by walking with our head up, a smile in place and an attitude centered on those around us instead of ourselves. 

Early Saturday morning, 4:30 AM to be exact, we packed the vans and headed east.  20 hours of highway, and a chance for each of us to "debrief" on our experiences.  The hugs and tears at our final stop together demonstrated best relationships were truly built.  As adult leaders we pray we are able to plant seeds that will be fertilized and grow throughout the lives of the youths, and in the lives of the other adults as well.  I pray that happened and I'm confident many lives were changed as a result of 6 days in the Rockies.

Rocky Mountain Mission Trip - Work Day/Spirit Walk Recap

I didn't take this photo but stood in about the same spot with a half dozen elks in the meadow.  It's amazing the wildlife you see out here.  For me I've seen moose, bears, elks, deer, foxes, and birds like I've never seen before.  It's just amazing to be so close.

Picture this now.  52 high school students spread out over a mountainside.  The sun is setting and each person is taking a few minutes to grow individually grow closer to God.  It was a moment that gives you chills.  And it was one of the most dramatic moments I have spent on any mission trip.  Last night we took a "Spirit Walk."  In small groups, our mission trippers ascended a mountain path.  Along the way there were 5 rest stops, with a member of our adult group waiting to share insight into communion.  Communion with the church, church family, friends, our families and God were there topics of the insights.  Then the small groups gathered near the top of the trail, spread out individually on tree trunks, fallen logs, or just stood and stared at the mountain in the distance as the sun set on our day.  It's hard to find words to give the scene justice, but trust me, it was a very special moment.

Yesterday was the day to finish our work for the week.  Our fence crew set more than 175 posts on the YMCA entrance.  They stretched every 12 feet, so perhaps that is close to a mile of fence post.  The other half of our fence crew put in the rails and finished nearly half of the posts set. We'll share photos later, but it looks amazing.  The painting crew has finished over 20 staff rooms.  New paint, holes patch and shelves and trim all freshened.  And our "slash crew" has huge piles of logs and brush piled high all over the children's cabins areas.  I can't even imagine how many trees they cleared, certainly over 1000 this week.

The YMCA staff is a bit overwhelmed.  Many people come here to volunteer, but most don't commit 3 solid days of hard work to make the YMCA staff lives better.  Usually volunteers are serving other guests, in the cafeteria, or front desk or in the facilities throughout the grounds.  We came to serve the servants.  Our YMCA staff group assigned to our project brought out a gallon of ice cream, chocolate syrup and cookies to celebrate our work.  It was a great way to end 3 days in the sun!

Most of the YMCA staff are college students, members of Navigators and here to serve the people who come to enjoy and worship at this resort.  Our YMCA staffers told us at the end of the day that they had been on many mission trips themselves, serving others, but they had never been served themselves.  It was very touching.

Mission trips are about building relationships.  And our kids have truly done that.  You start the week with kids that know each other hanging out together.  But slowly though the week, they meet the youth from the other church, and friendships grow.  By last night you couldn't tell which group was from which church as they were so intermixed.

Today is a free day.  We have hikes planned into the mountains, a high ropes course test for everyone, and use of all the great facilities at the complex.  Tonight the YMCA is hosting all of us for an ice cream party and then we will have our own bonfire where we will reflect on the week and give the youth and adults the moving forward challenge.  Hopefully God will give each of us the right words to plant the seeds necessary for the right seeds to be planted.  I won't be posting tomorrow as we leave at 5 AM for home.  Sometime after midnight we should be back in Champaign. 

But I'll try and recap the trip Sunday.  By the way, Derrick, Jim and I will be giving the message on Sunday, discussing all that has been accomplished.  I hope I'm awake for that!  :)  Thank you all for your support, your donations and your prayers.  We all know you are thinking of us and praying for us.  It really makes a difference.

Rocky Mountain Mission Trip - Work Day 3

Yesterday was one of the days when you wake up feeling wonderful and about half way through the day realize you are really tired!  Adrenaline can only take you too far.  Fortunately yesterday was also the day the youth stepped up, committed to get their work done.  One of the things I love is the energy the youth generates.  I know it's surprising as we think of young people as sitting around, listening to IPODs, or playing video games.  But for the most part, this group of youth comes to work.  Long ago trip organizers Jim McClary, Jim Olson and Scott Edwards planted seeds that these trips are about building relationships, serving others with the projects we do and most importantly growing spiritually.  Jim and I were talking last night after a worship bonfire, that one of the things that makes the Savoy/Macomb Missions trips different that others we know about is the bonding and friendships that come from working side by side for 6 or 8 hours a day on a hard project.  Personally it's the best part for me as I have gotten to know some wonderful young people from Macomb and Savoy as well. 

I especially enjoy four young men from Macomb.  Sam, Phillip, Matt and Cordell are as different as any 4 young men can be.  Sam is very athletic, Phillip a huge sports fanatic, especially the Cardinals, Matt is an artist, musician and Cordel is just a smart kid who you love to have around all the time.  Yet they fit together nicely and love to spend time working, talking, playing cards and just having fun.  Left to there own towns and lives, these 4 surely would have never met.  But through the mission trip experiences have been brought together and become "brothers".  They are respectful to all the adults here and try hard to get to know every one of us.  In a way, they help us to feel a part of the "young crowd."  There are about 10 other examples of small groups here with kids that have become life long friends and are a joy to spend time with every day.  And that goes back to building relationships.  It's fun to watch and fun to watch grow over the years as we come back to mission work annually.

As for yesterday's work, we are one day closer to finishing.  It was a beautiful day, the first without mist and fog in the morning.  The temps were perfect and the skies were blue.  I found myself stopping and just looking around more yesterday than any before as each hour the sun hits the mountains slightly differently and you just admire God's handiwork.   Today we finish, whether the job is done or not.  And tomorrow is another free day, with hiking, fishing, shopping and our wrap up services planned. 

We talked last night that we wish we had more than a week a year to spend together.  The mission trip teams have become like family, and our work and spiritual growth is a sort of annual family reunion we cherish in our lives.  In fact I'm sure there are many things we share with each other we don't share with family.  God has chosen to assemble us together and work, learn and grow.  I'm just happy he choose me!

Rocky Mountain Mission Trip Work day 2

This photo gives you an idea of where we are staying.  The YMCA of the Rockies is an amazing facility, mostly used to host youth groups, camps, weddings and family reunions.  The accommodations far exceed our normal fare.  We all have beds!  That's a plus.  And there are bathrooms/showers in each room.  The food is fairly good.  There is a large dining hall that seats about 250 and they must feed over 500 a day.  Great selection at all meals, with lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, plenty of drink choices, but interestingly enough, limited desert choices.  I need my ice cream!  :)

I blogged early this morning and then walked back to the complex.  I found out quickly that one of the young ladies from Macomb, Lexa Mahr (on the right in the photo), had been bitten by a spider and had a large red blotch with a black circle.  They took her to the hospital last night and prescribed some medication for her.  I went and picked it up this morning.  Lexa and a wonderful girl, not one to complain about anything.  And if she had her way the staff would have rubbed some dirt on it and let her "play on."  But she is fine now and worked hard all day clearing brush.

We got deep into our projects yesterday.  One group clearing dead trees near the summer over night camp grounds for kids.  I met a man, Ransom, who is originally from Aurora, at the camp grounds.  He explained to me the open fields surrounding us were covered by pine trees just a few years ago.  Now it looks like a mountain valley covered only by grass.  It's hard to imagine just how much damage this beetle has caused and how much more damage it will do to these mountainsides and valleys.  But at least no one has been hurt, and there hasn't been a forest fire yet.  That is the main reason we are doing this work, to help/prevent a fire from destroying this YMCA complex.

Another group painted the staff quarters.  I didn't make it to that project, but was told they finished 3 of 10 rooms yesterday.  Our group is building a fence from the administration building to the main road.  Post holes have been dug, and we are skinning the bottom two feet of 6 foot logs, tarring the part we skin, then putting the logs in the post holes, leveling them, filling in the holes and finally attaching rails.  We got about 100 posts in yesterday and about 50 feet of railing done.  We put in more poles then they expected us to do all week!  So they are getting more post holes dug today we hope.  It's hard work, but the temperature is 75 degrees and the scenery is amazing of course.  The only downside is that since we are 9000 ft in the air the sun is brighter and burns the skin a little faster.  We will be applying more sun screen today as there were some burns, including me!  :)

Last night we attended a Navigators meeting.  There are about 100 members of Navigators here for the summer.  For those that don't know, Navigators is an International collegiate Christian outreach program.  We have a large chapter at the UI so I"m familiar with there work.  I think I understand they commit 12 weeks in the summer and work and worship here.  Sounds like a great summer job!  The service had great music with a contemporary praise band, a young pastor who talked about how God is the God of everyone in our world, not just Americans, and talked about how Christianity is a bit like eating at a buffet table.  We all pick and choose how we worship, serve and grow, and choosing the "right entree" defines our spiritual growth.  Then he said that mission work is sort of like the dessert bar, where the selections are many but the service is satisfying.  Sort of like an ice cream sundae bar. 

There were three gentleman from the Japan Navigators who talked about the aftermath of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear power tragedy.  All had family and friends injured, displaced or that died in the tragedy.  But the one positive thing was that the government had embraced the mission work of the groups and as a result, the body of Christ is more united in Japan.  I didn't realize that less than 1% of Japan is Christian.  And that 84% of the pastors in Japan are over the age of 50.  A staggering statistic when you contemplate the potential growth for the Japanese.

The service was wonderful, but honestly our group was a bit tired from our days work, a shorter service would have been appreciated.

Today, more work.  Then tonight we are going to a worship bonfire.  The temperature at night drops to about 47 degrees.  Hopefully it won't be raining.  Like Hawaii, there is almost daily afternoon rain here.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me an email.  toddsalen@gmail.com

Good bye for now

Rocky Mountain Mission Trip - Work day 1

Today we roll up our sleeves and go to work.  We are doing three basic projects this week, putting in a fence on the entry drive from the highway, painting rooms for the YMCA staff and clearing wood from the pine trees that have died as a result of the beetles.  Pastor Jim McClary is in charge of the pine tree slashing, Derrick Johnson is heading up the fence building and Scott Edwards is the paint leader.  Jim and Scott have been organizing mission trips for over 8 years.  They have been friends for 38 years.  Jim is the Pastor at Savoy Methodist Church and Scott is a member of the Wesley Methodist Church in Macomb.  It's hard to imagine how many young lives the two of them have changed as a result of their planning and organizing mission trips.  I have been involved in 6 of them, and all of them have been remarkable in both the work that has been accomplished and the spiritual growth of the youth and the adults.  We are truly blessed to have them both as our leaders.  Hard to imagine I'm sure that when they met as 12 year olds back in Quincy that God had a plan for them that would continue to play out 38 years later.

Our youth is doing terrific so far.  Yesterday was a fun day, a chance to get acclimated to the elevation.  We are at 8700 ft here at the YMCA and I can feel it for sure.   Most of the group went on a horseback ride into the mountains in the morning.  The afternoon was spent either hiking, or playing on these amazing facilities the YMCA provides.  I went on the hike.  About 3 miles with a elevation change of about 500 feet.  That's a good beginner's hike.  In the middle of the trail was a beautiful waterfall.  I'll post some photos when I get back as I forgot to bring my camera download connection.  Trust me, it was beautiful. 

It rained about halfway into the walk.  Hard!  And we all got soaked.  But no one complained.  I know many of you might say, "why would you want to spend your vacation with 45 high school students?"  The answer is, because this are really special kids.  One of the real joys in working on mission trips is meeting these idealistic young men and women, listening to them, and sharing insights into some of the problems they may be facing in their lives. 

I believe most of the problems facing our youth today could be solved if adults took the time to really listen to them.  These kids have some amazing stories to tell.

One of our young men had leukemia at age 3.  He is a strong, athletic young man.  And yet he lives with the possibility it could come back at any time.  He lives each day fully.  A lesson for us all.  Most of these kids come from strong families.  They have been given the support they needed by wonderful parents, many of them whom I know.  But some are from broken families that struggle daily just to pay the bills.  Just the fact they are here is a sign the parents want to build a strong foundation for these kids to build their lives on.

The Snow Mountain Ranch has been around for over 100 years.  It started as a YMCA camp and has transformed into a retreat/convention facility.  The staff here spends all of their time providing young people a facility to learn and grow their spirituality.  It's a bit funny they aren't used to groups coming to serve them.  They are in the service business, yet having someone serve them is new.  I'm told we are the first group to come and dedicate themselves to serving the YMCA.  We are in effect, serving the servants. 

Yesterday I bumped into Bill and Cinny Green.  Many of you know them from their years building and managing GT's Western Bowl in Champaign.  Cinny told me they come here annually and help organize for the youth groups that come here in the summers.  They spend 12 weeks a year as YMCA staff helping these groups enjoy the facility.  That was fun to see them and I had no idea they were here.  Our friendship goes back over 20 years.  Amazing how God brings you together with friends, even 1000 miles from home!

So it's time to get this day started.  It's a little overcast this morning and the weather is a brisk 50 degrees.  It should heat up to about 75 later today.  Today we begin the work of serving the YMCA.  But the best work of all is reaching out to the youth and adults who are here with us and beginning the work of sharing the great message of Jesus with each of them.  Pray for us!

Rocky Mountain High! Traveling with 51 members of Savoy and Macomb Methodist Church to Colorado

So here were are!  Is this better than the mission trips we have taken to Mexico and Dulac, Lousiana?  I think so!  This is my 6th Mission trip with this group.  We have about 45 high school students from the Champaign and Macomb areas and we are planning to do some work for the Snow Mountain YMCA this week.  The Rocky Mountains are struggling with a beetle that is literally eating the pine trees.  There are hundreds of acres of dead trees in the mountains, a real forest fire hazard.  We are volunteering for the YMCA Convention center complex clearing the dead wood, painting some of their staff rooms and building a fence on the complex.  It's a lot of work, but the scenery makes it all worthwhile.  And of course they are all terrific kids.

It took us two days to get here.  We traveled in a caravan of about 5 cars and vans, loaded to the gills with suitcases and the "necessaries".  We had a few problems, first the running board for our van broke off "halfway."  Getting the other half off the van was a challenge, but our noble driver, Derrick Johnson, managed.  We stopped in Lexington Nebraska night one.  A little Day's Inn served as our rest stop.  There were plenty of Arby's, McDonalds and of course a Wal Mart where we could reload.  Who knew you had to reload after just 10 hours of driving :) .  But we got that done.  We met the group from Macomb in Lexington and our caravan grew to near capacity.  Next morning...."Head for the Mountains." 

Now the van I was in had 13 people and was pulling a full trailer.  I believe that the weight load was good for a straight road, but the mountains....no way.
We decided to go a little out of the way and drive through the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Like all National Parks, Rocky Mountain is wonderful.  We saw some amazing landscapes, mountains, rivers and even a few live moose, elks, and a bear.  What an amazing experience!  And then, it was time to come down the mountain........

We got around the Alpine Valley look out center and started downhill.  Our van didn't stop at all the "photo sites" so we were about an hour ahead of the rest of the group.  As we came down our brakes started to fail.  Well, we pulled over quickly and tried to flag down help.  No one stopped, and an hour or so later the rest of the group caught us.  We shifted the trailer to another van and redistributed most of the kids to other cars and vans.  And Derrick and I said a short prayer and started the rest of the way down.  Of course I'm writing this so we made it!  :)
God was watching over us for sure. 

I love mission trips.  I love the work we do and the people we help.  Most of all I love the relationships we build with the kids looking for answers and the adults who always go through a change in spirit as well.  When I went on my first trip I thought I was some Knight riding in on a white stallion to help those in need.  I have discovered again and again the people we help are more noble than I, and that God uses each of us as he wishes. 

This week I'll update you on our progress.  Today is a free day and we are adjusting to the altitude.  Already the kids have gone horse back riding, and there is a hike, canoeing, basketball and even square dancing still to come tonight.  Tomorrow we go to work.  But the truth is, God's work started before we even got into our vans in Savoy.  Stay tuned!

168 hours per week! PLENTY of time to Make a Difference

Maybe the most asked question I get is "how do you find time for ....?"  Well, sometimes I don't, but mostly whenever I can I fit it in.  Providing it is either work related or fits into my master plan for how I devote my free time.  A few year's ago I found myself overwhelmed by the numbers of things I was involved with.  I found myself saying yes too often, and hadn't learned when to say no.  It was then I created a sort of a master plan for sorting my commitments.  The master plan is simple. 

"I will devote my time to projects that provide opportunities for young people (roughly age 16-21) to live their dreams out loud."

I truly believe the hardest part of any one's life is in this age group.  In particular, I believe young men and women face more changes at the age of 18 and 19 than at any other period.  Of course there are many exceptions.  But this is my basic belief.  Maybe it was because it was such a hard period for me.  Graduating high school and the safety net of friends and teachers into the real world was a rocky period.  I believed life as I knew it was over when I graduated.  And I stressed endlessly about it. 

When I arrived at the University of Illinois the stress continued.  In the mid seventies it was legal for an 18 year old to drink, and I took advantage of the law!  And there were drugs, sex and about every distraction I could find all around me.  I made a lot of bad choices in that time, digging a deeper hole seemingly impossible to dig out of. 

Fortunately I met some great people as well.   People who would challenge me and shape me more than anyone else in my life.  These folks have remained close friends ever since and continue to impact my life.  I want to be one of those "people" whenever I can.

So back to the premise of this post...."how do I find time...?"

If my math is correct there are 168 hours in a week.  When I'm really busy I devote about 48 hours to sleeping.  That leaves about 120 hours give or take a few.  I spend in the neighborhood of 60 hours a week working, although I multi task with the best of them at work.  Still that leaves 60 hours unclaimed.  I think the difference between productive people and "very productive" people is how they divide the extra 60 hours a week.  For me I spend maybe 7 hours a week walking and playing with my dog.  I multi task again and listen to music while I walk her.  That hour a day, typically between 5 and 6 AM is when I plan the rest of my day.  I run through my "to do" list in my head and determine how I'm going to start the day at the office.

Usually another hour in the morning is spent catching up on the news of the day, watching any shows from the previous night I taped, or reading the paper.  It's my time to learn, reflect, relax.  So I'll count another 7 hours to this, leaving me about 46 hours to burn each week.  46 hours is a lot of time.
How I divide the rest depends on what show(s) I'm involved with, what is going on at church, what I need to do for my fraternity, Rotary projects, or other things I may have said "yes" to.

As I said earlier,  the quality of your life is determined by how you spend your "extra" 46 hours.  Are you doing things you love, or things you have to do?  Are you surrounded by people you love, or just people you tolerate?  For me at least, changing that time in my life has made all the difference in the world

Why do I do it?  Simply because it's fun.  I love seeing others realize they are capable of taking the first steps towards success.  I particularly love watching young people achieve their dreams and stand in the spotlight, no matter if that spotlight is on a stage, or in a chapter room, or in a youth project at church.  I've said before you don't keep track of the hours when you are doing the things you love.  I LOVE what I'm doing.

Do I make sacrifices to find the time?  Absolutely.  I could certainly make more money if I devoted that time to my job.  I could watch every Cubs game.  I could see Illini games in person.  I could travel to the places I have always wanted to see, China, Rome, Paris, Scotland and Pebble Beach.   If I die tomorrow and have never seen Rome, I still will have accomplished everything I wanted to achieve in life.  All I have ever wanted to do was make a difference in the lives of the people I meet everyday.  That takes time, and you know what?  I have plenty of that.

On Jean Valjean, Willie Wonka, Joseph and Tony

I absolutely love live music.  I especially love acoustic guitar, singer/songwriters and theater solos.  Yes, I said theater solos!  :)  There is something about standing in the spotlight and singing your heart out in front of a live audience that strips away any barriers you might put up most of the time.  It's kind of like kicking the winning field goal, or making the last second basket, or maybe striking out the hitter with the bases loaded in the 9th inning when you are up by one run.  You are so vulnerable and exposed when you are on stage in the spotlight with no one to back you up.
I have had the pleasure to work with many, many actors and actresses in my 6 years in theater.  Some are remarkably talented and some are just fun to be around.  Others maybe don't belong.  But that's true every where you go in life.  I want to tell a few stories about 4 of my favorites.
Jaise Allen:  I first met Jaise when he was a senior at Mahomet High School.  All four of the actors I'll talk about come from exceptional families, who balance respect for elders with encouragement for developing talent.  Jaise was cast as Jean Valjean from Les Miserables when we first met.  This was my first "back stage" assignment for the Champaign Urbana Theater Company.  I was a little in awe of everyone and everything those weeks.  I had never moved sets or organized the back stage before.  And every night Jaise would come out and literally bring the audience out of their seats when he sang "Bring 'em Home."  I was simply amazed an 18 year old could hold an audience in his hand for 3 hours every night.  But Jaise did it.
A year later I would co-produce Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  We cast Jaise as the Beast after a long staff debate about whether it would be easier to coach an actor who was kind and gentle into a mean SOB, or an SOB into a gentle beast.  We decided to cast Jaise as the Beast and the other as Gaston.  It was the right decision.  
Jaise is someone who's roots are deeply planted in his faith.  He and I had several discussions during rehearsal about the difficulty he had in finding the Beast's character.  While he was a great singer, delivering spoken lines was a relatively new experience.  Jaise drew deeply on his faith to find the right "attitude" and in the end, his performance of "If I can't have her" is one of my all time favorites.  That moment in the show when he "softens" his beastliness was so difficult, but perfect for him. 
I had the pleasure to work with Jaise three more times, first as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , then in Annie Get your Gun, and finally as Ren in Footloose.   All three times I was backstage, so I only enjoyed the performance and didn't help in any way to stage it.  Although in Footloose I was managing the microphones back stage and it was a nightly battle to get him connected.  Footloose features LOTS of dancing and Jaise would sweat through whatever protection we arranged for the mics.  I changed his mic, his mic pack, his batteries, whatever I could to make it work.  I even had a hair dryer in the dressing room to dry out the pack at intermission to "make it right."  And yet throughout it all, Jaise was calm, respectful and supportive.  Many actors would blow a gasket in similar situations.  Not Jaise.  Patient, respectful, talented and rooted in faith best describes this young man.
Jacob Lambert:
Until the summer of 2009 Jacob was the perennial "ensemble" actor.  Jacob walks with a noticeable limp.  Directors consistently cast him in roles where dancing wasn't overly dramatic as a result of the limp.  He was born with a form of palsy, leaving his body to grow faster than his muscles.  As a result his lower body strength has suffered.  And yet the strength of his character far exceeds the strength in his legs.  In the summer of 2008 he was cast as one of the brothers in Joseph.  This role required him to dance around the stage and jump on tables.  And it required him to sing.  Jacob has a rich singing voice, and he delivers every note in perfect pitch.  His performance in Joseph led the directors of the second version of CUTC's Les Mis to select him for the role of Jean Valjean. 
I can remember the staff let the actors who had been called back leave before the cast was selected.  As the discussion centered around Valjean, the music director realized he hadn't asked Jacob to sing the "high C" required for "Bring 'em home."  I quickly dialed Jacob's number, put him on speaker and said "Jacob, sing us a high c."  He did and he got the part.
As the rehearsing moved forward it became apparent Jacob was struggling lifting and carrying Marius (David Kessler) across the stage in a dramatic moment when he saves the young man's life.  Jacob could certainly carry David in his arms, but picking him up was a huge strain on Jacob's lower body.  Serving as technical director for the show, I consulted with our staff and determined we would have David lay on a large trunk instead of the floor so the lift wasn't quite as far.  After two days of working with the amended lift Jacob came to me and said "I prefer to lift him from the floor, the scene loses it's dramatic affect if we use the crate."  We did as he asked.  For the remaining days of rehearsal and each of the performances Jacob lifted and carried David across the stage without a hint of strain.  It was mind over matter, and he willed his legs to be at full strength for the shows. 
Shortly after the final performance Suzanne Aldridge and I were presenting "Encore: A Tribute to Kathy Murphy."  Our close friend Kathy had passed earlier in the year after a long and valiant battle against cancer.  In tribute to Kathy, her friends organized a scholarship to be awarded to high school seniors who had participated in theater.  Sue, John Stuff and several others, put together a collection of Kathy's favorite songs and had actors from the past and present perform them in her honor.  Sue had a vision of Jaise Allen and Jacob singing a sort of "dueling Valjeans" presenting one of Kathy's favorites, Bring 'em Home. 
Jacob was a bit intimidated as he had been one of the Les Miz children in the first performance and greatly admired Jaise as Valjean.  Singing beside him and with him was frightful.  A 3 minute ovation after the number was evidence he held his own.  By the way, Jacob was the first winner of the Kathy Murphy Scholarship.  She would have been proud!
Cullyn Murphy:
I first met Cullyn backstage at Oliver in the fall of 2006.  He was one of the street urchins in Fagan's gang.  I mentioned Kathy Murphy earlier and Cullyn is one of Kathy's nephews.  The Murphy family is a bit odd to say the least.  At least odd from the perspective they all love to be on stage and entertain.  Cullyn is no exception. 
Cullyn Murphy has a smile stretching literally ear to ear and bright white teeth to fill in the gaps.  He seemingly never has a bad day and makes everyone feel a little bit better just because he lives his life as if today might be his last.  As an actor and singer he reminds you a bit of Dick Van Dyke and perhaps Steve Martin.  Slapstick comes naturally to him.  And he has another wonderful voice making you realize he is not just a funny guy, but a talented actor.  Over the past 6 years I may have seen every show he has performed in at least once.  I have never been disappointed. 
In 2010 he was selected to play the role of Wille Wonka.  This was his first major lead role in community theater.  Yet he was perfectly prepared to take on the task.  While he may never be cast as a romantic leading man, Cullyn can mold a role with even the slightest bit of humor into a perfected sculpted masterpiece.  The rehearsals and performances of Willie Wonka were all made brighter by the fact Cullyn was there every day to make us laugh at the story, the characters and even ourselves.
CUTC performs their shows over a two week period, taking Monday through Wednesday off in the middle of 8 or 9 performances from the stage.  However many directors call the actors back in on Wednesday to brush up the lines and dance moves. 
There is a scene in Willie Wonka when Willie reaches into a small tv to grab Mike Teavee who has been shrunk by Willie's TV transporter and "transported" to the tv.   For the performance the director had placed a GI Joe with Mike's imitated costume into a small tv looking box for Willie to reach in and grab.  On the Wednesday walk through, unbeknownst to Cullyn, I had striped the doll of it's clothes and placed it in the box.  Cullyn got to that point of the show, reached into the box and said "and here we have Mike Teavee, magically transported into the tv and he's perfectly normal except he's......NAKED!!!"  The cast and crew broke up and he moved right along with the scene as if it were planned all along.. 
Kathy loved all her nieces and nephews, but I think she loved Cullyn just a little more.  He loves the theater almost as much as she did.  And it loves him back.
David Kessler:
A lot of people think David Kessler sings like an angel.  I disagree.  I think David Kessler is an angel sent by God to remind us of the wonderful gifts he has given each of us and the obligation we all have to develop those gifts.   In the six years I have been involved in theater David is the simply the best pure singer I have worked with. 
I first met David in that same Les Miz cast 6 years ago.  He, like Jacob, was one of the street children.  Three years later he would play the part of Marius.  In between he was cast as Hugo in Bye Bye Birdie.  As Hugo he was just another talented student with a decent voice and a bright smile.  Yet he had a certain quality in his voice that made me think he might be special someday. 
I have seen David in 10 or 15 roles.  He never misses a line, a note or a cue.  A true professional every minute he is on the stage. 
This summer CUTC is presenting West Side Story.  David's dream role is Tony. I can't imagine anyone else playing it.  When Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein wrote West Side Story they must have certainly had a voice like David's in mind.  I won't say I have never seen David upset, but I have never seen him upset for long.  He brings a sense of dignity, grace and commitment to each and every moment he is in a room or on a stage.  And....his voice...is well..... angelic.