Is it possible to idolize missions???? It's such a noble cause and in many ways what I've viewed as the "highest" or one of the highest callings God can call you to. But yes...even this...even missions can become an idol in your life.

Tonight I visited Campus Crusade's Christmas conference in downtown Indianapolis and joined in on their men's time and also the Charlie Hall concert that happened afterwards.

All the speakers spoke on things I've heard countless numbers of times at other men's conferences or men's talks. But the part about what we truly treasured as men really hit home for me and I asked myself what I really treasured. I couldn't honestly say it was Jesus...

I realized that I've been idolizing missions. Wow...my heart was so heavy when I came to that realization. To think that I could use God's call to missions as a source of pride felt so wicked to me. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.

I'll explain more later but I have a lot think about...

Looking ahead, I want to have the right view of what missions is all about and also get to the heart issue as to why I'm using missions as a source of idolization instead of a means to accomplish God's purposes in the world.

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." -John Piper

Well, we just finished rehearsal this past Wednesday for this year and I've been sick since yesterday. I've been hacking up some pretty nasty stuff, so yeah... please pray for my throat! It's really gross and I'll be on the plane tomorrow to Atlanta to spend Christmas with him there. I would hate to be one of those people that you sit next to on the plane that just continually coughs and coughs away, ya know? Like the ones who do it really loud or in a gross way that it makes you feel uncomfortable?

Anyways, so I have been sick and I noticed how hard it was for me to feel "Christmasy" this year. I'm usually pretty upbeat and positive about the holiday but I definitely don't feel that Christmas spirit that much this time around. You would think that since I'm in missions the thought of Christ's birth would just send me reeling into a state of spiritual bliss and perpetual worship at a moment's notice...nope.

I'll be visiting my father tomorrow in Atlanta and I hope to have a good time with him. I realized after his birthday passed this year that hey...I don't know how much more time he's got left and I don't know how many more opportunities I'll get to see him. He's not a believer and straddling the fence between buddhism and Christianity.

This past January at my new staff training when I asked him questions from a spiritual survey, he told me that he was both buddhist and Christian. "Dad, you can't be both," I said. "Well, I don't believe everything about Christianity. Just some of it." O.k....I guess I can see how you can do that, though it still doesn't make much sense to me.

But the two hugest obstacles for him to accept Christ would be his inability to accept grace and my family.

When I told about Jesus Christ and his grace, the free gift of eternal life, he couldn't accept it. He said, "no, I have to work for it. I just have to work for it." The work/performance mentality is so engrained in his brain that he can't accept the fact that he doesn't have to do anything to gain acceptance and salvation from God. Pray for this stronghold to break. Pray for him to be struck with the depths of his sin so that he'll see how utterly inadequate and useless it is for him to try to work for it. Instead, he needs to just accept it as a beggar taking the scepter from the King.

When I asked him what would it take for him to accept Christ, he said, "you know what it would take? If mom and I got back together again, I would believe Jesus." I was stunned...I was speechless and had no idea what to say...I guess it's possible but I'm not so sure...I guess anything is possible with God but there are a lot of things that need to happen before that can even be a glimpse of something real.

However the case, whether or not that happens, my dad needs to know Christ's offer of forgiveness for sins, regardless of whether or not our family gets back together again. Maybe once he does bend the knee to him, it may be possible. For he will have the power to break the cycle he's been in, repent of his past and be able to come back into that situation anew.

Please pray for me as I go. I've prayed a little bit but certainly use your prayers as well. It'll be good to see him.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and New Years.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Confronting people is always hard. But with me it's especially hard because I have such horrifying fears about what will happen when I do confront the person. What will they say? What will they think? All the usuals that we process through our brain when we have someone we need to confront. But really for me, it is utterly terrifying.

I've had to confront many people recently and have to still confront a few more. It always takes so much courage for me to do so. I'm always afraid of the consequence or end result and about 99% of the time go into it thinking the worst, never the best. All I know is that God has been putting me in these situations so I can deal with people and continue growing in how to confront my fears and confront others in a loving, biblical way.

For far too long I've done this in an unhealthy way and have run away from confrontations as much as possible. I can no longer run...I can no longer hide...I'm getting too old for this. I must face my fears head on and ask God for the strength to do so.

And it's really because of boundary issues. Man...that word...that book! What an excellent book. God has certainly used it to heal my heart and provide me tools and resources in how to best deal with situations I've been in or currently am in. It's been a huge help in understanding why I feel the emotions I do, why I interact the way I do, and how my background has totally shaped my personal relationships with others. The only way I will continue to grow is if I keep facing these fears, confronting others in love, and dealing with the problem!

Lord, help me not to cower and dodge, parry and sway from my convictions. Make me as bold as a lion, though I feel like a mouse. Strengthen me inside. Grant me Your resolve.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to confront at least one other person. Pray for God to give me the grace and the courage to say what is on my heart without fear of how the other person will react. Pray I'll just say it as it is and allow God to work as He will.

Time for bed...

This is the revised vision statement of Keynote. I thought this was the perfect way to describe what we do here and are seeking to do in the next 10 to 15 years as a ministry. It's really exciting when I read it! Enjoy!

Mission statement:

• Partnering with strategic ministries to communicate God's love through music and the performing arts.

Vision Statement:

• We see...Hundreds of thousands of people becoming followers of Christ around the world as a result of Keynote's influence.

• We see...Keynote as a passionate community of gifted artists who are recognized leaders in communication through music and the performing arts.

• We see...Keynote as a movement equiping strategic partners with training, talent and guidance on every continent in the world.

• We see...A worldwide network of hundreds of performers communicating the love of Christ in the language of their culture

• We see...Keynote having the freedom to quickly seize strategic opportunities as a result of strong ministry funding and healthy personal support levels

• We see...A worldwide Ministry Center with sufficient facilities and staff resources to support our mission

• We see...Keynote being used by God to change the world!

Keynote Values (and questions to ask in evaluating opportunities and strtegies):

Authentic-Is it...
...reaching a specific audience effctively?
...relating to real life?
...sharing a compelling story?

Dynamic-Is it...
...adaptable to culturacl change?
...going where God is moving?
Are we retaining enough flexibility?

Catalytic-Is it...
...helping build movements?
...utilizing our uniqueness?
...helping build strategic partnerships?

Worldwide-Is it...
...partnering globally?
...accelerating ministries?

Life Change-Is it...
...changing the lives of our audience?
...changing the lives of our staff?

It's been a while since I've written! apologies!

Turkey day was fantastic meeting with friends and family back home. But MAN, was it WAY too busy. Next time I visit NY, I have to plan for at least a week. There' s just too many people I want to see when I go back there!

I just got done recording our demo song, "Reasons Why" by Nickel Creek and it should be up on our blue sky nine website soon! I'm psyched! It was a bit nerve racking hearing every single minor mistake and sound level that wasn't consistent. But once I started grooving and had few takes, it was fine. And, of course, there is always studio magic! So whatever rhythmic hits I did that weren't quite locked into the beat, they can just adjust with a simple click of a button and quantize it...amazing. We don't even really need to play anymore! no, but that's cheesy.

Besides that, it's just been really nuts putting together my year end support letter for the special needs I'll have for my upcoming trip to Albania! I am uber excited and can't wait for all the details of that to come together so we can get the ball rolling and prepare better.

Please pray for us as we prepare for Albania in March and possibly Turkey as well! We have nine concerts set up so far in Albania and look forward to more opportunities they have for us. Nine concerts in eleven days! Whew! It'll be jam packed, but well worth it. May the Lord's anointing and power be with us as we minister to this very dark country.

More stats on the on the counry of Albania at: http://www.answers.com/topic/albania

I'm going to see the "Chronicles of Narnia" tonight which I am uber excited about! woohoo! I was supposed to go to a special screening of it at a theatre last night with some Keynote folks. A local church in the area rented out a movie theatre and got a pre-release screening at a discounted price too! Bummer it didn't work out though because we had our huge snow storm hit last night. It was FAREEEEZING!!! Yeah...I need to buy gloves. And in case you're wondering what to get me for Christmas...(wink, wink)

Finishing up the tasks of the day and then back out to the warehouse to hear how the final editing and mixing of our recording sounds. Blessings!