My wife shared some great insight today…
Until you place your life fully in God’s hands, you will never quiet the anxious thoughts that can cry out from within and leave you feeling unhappy and defeated. You can search frantically for happiness, success, and fulfillment and wonder why you are never satisfied. It is only when you make God the center of your li…fe that you will find true happiness and fulfillment.
Crystal Bowersox – Crystal is back on the Idol stage and feeling better tonight. Crystal put her solid vocals behind Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light” and while this was absolutely the right song for her, I thought it was a pretty average performance. There were some high spots though as Crystal does have decent enough vocals. If I’m being honest, then I have to give credit where credit is due and say that Crystal did very well for someone who just endured a serious medical emergency the day before. Crystal will no doubt get the sympathy vote but time will tell how long she can stand up against some of the other remaining girls who have more star power. Well done Crystal.
Haeley Vaughn – I always look forward to hearing Haeley perform as she is extremely likable and I feel she will do well in this competition. Haeley went up against Miley Cyrus ‘”The Climb” and this was without a doubt the wrong song choice for Haeley. Mainly because, in my estimation, Haeley is a much better singer than Miley. Also because it sounded like she was struggling to hit the notes of the song. The first couple of notes came off a little flat. Overall it was an “ok” performance, but not the best of this young lady’s Idol journey. Haeley is much better than the performance she gave tonight and I believe next week she will have a better song choice which will show her singing ability and star power.
Lacey Brown -I love Lacey Brown. She has allowed God to direct her path and actively serves in ministy. Following Kara’s advice from last week Lacey performs “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. Kara was right; this is absolutely the right song for Lacey. Lacey owned this song from start to finish. Great vocal performance tonight and even though Lacey is only the third girl to perform, she is definitely way out in front of the pack. I can’t say enough good things about Lacey tonight. She is likable, cute, has a great personality and smile. Very well done indeed. I don’t know what show Randy Jackson was watching but Lacey was adorable and she will be back next week.
Katie Stevens – Another one of my favorite girls; Katie took on Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On.” Again this week the Idol producers are giving Katie extra face time, which is fine with me. However, it is obvious that the producers like Katie, they like her story and they want her to advance. Katie sang at about 65% of her ability tonight. I don’t know if there is a slight lack of self confidence or what, but with her pipes, Katie should have really rocked this song and it was just “ok.” There were some bright moments in this performance, but Katie has a much greater ability than what she actually uses. Katie has a fun personality and is learning to interact with the audience and needs to continue to work on her vocals each day of the week. Katie is very likable and can indeed take on some bigger songs and hopefully will in the weeks to come.
Didi Benami – I like Didi. She has a really natural look, she comes off as warm and friendly. I am hoping for a better song choice from Didi this week. Didi has a great, great voice and this week she takes on “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. A little too much like a folk song for me, but a good job none the less. Didi’s presence lights up the stage and she has an inviting smile. This performance would have worked as an interlude in between sets during a show but does not stand on it’s own for a solo performance. Not the best song choice, but Didi did well enough to be back next week.
Michelle Delamor – I said last week that Michelle would be back and she returns to the Idol stage to put her spin on Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open.” This is just one of those songs that I don’t think an inexperienced Idol contestant should be allowed to sing. This is a great rock ballad when performed correctly. Michelle not only chose the wrong song, she completely ruined “her version” of this Creed hit. My arms will be wide open to shove her out the door after she gets voted off this week. I guess the crowd was trying to be polite by clapping at the end, or perhaps they were clapping that the mess was over. Michelle’s eyes sill say she is smug and over confident and she comes off as someone who believes they are a better singer than what they actually are. I agree with Ellen, Michelle did a lot with this song, so much so that she should be arrested and convicted of it’s murder. I hope she at least offers Creed an apology for that absolute train wreck of a performance.
Lilly Scott steps up to the Idol stage with Same Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Lilly is 100% right a change is gonna come and that change is going to be that Lilly is no longer a contestant on American Idol. Was she even singing? Does she think she can sing? This was worse than the dropping of the cats in a sack off the Empire State Building. I would rather listen to Kara scratch her nails on the chalk board for an hour while Simon and Randy sing the phone book. A horrible, awful, wretched performance where the best part was when it was over.
Katelyn Epperly brings her version of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” to the Idol Stage. Slow but good. Katelyn started flat on the very first note, but it only got better from there. I am not overly familiar with this song but I really liked it. Katelyn did a fantastic job with the piano and with her vocals on the high spots. She kept my attention, showed her winning personality and the make-up was much better this week. Katelyn should continue to do well in this competition.
Paige Miles chooses to take on Kelly Clarkson’s “Walk Away.” The right song choice for Paige all the way, but yet I also thought it could have been a lot more “rockin’” than what it was. Paige should have brought the house down with her vocals and this song but instead her performance hung out somewhere between “just ok” and “good.” Paige is another contestant who only performs at about 65% when she would own this competition if she used 100% of her vocal ability. Paige will keep coming back for more because she is likable and has a good voice.
Siobhan Magnus – Siobhan is back to take on Aretha Franklin’s “Think.” WOW! Siobhan brought it tonight. By far the best performance, not just of the night, but of this week. Of the 20 remaining contestants, Siobhan blew them away. Siobhan is extremely talented, interested and intriguing all rolled into one, cute little ball of fun. She has really surprised me by continuing to win me over, first last week and then again this week. As long as she continues to deliver consistently week in and week out; you can look for Siobhan in the finals, because she will be there for sure.
While the American Idol Top 10 Girls were supposed to perform tonight, we got the guys instead. Ryan Seacrest informed us at the 
top of the show that Crystal Bowersox was taken to the hospital this morning and under doctors orders can not perform today.
“Big Mike” Michael Lynche kicks things off tonight with his version of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World.” Big Mike has a big, powerful, soulful voice that should serve him well in this competition. I thought this was a decent enough performance. Mike could be an R&B superstar with his voice. He iis an extremely likable guy; however he needs to work on his stage presence. He’s got the vocals down, he just needs to get a good mix of vocals and performance and he will be “tight.”
John Park – While I still don’t like John, he did show up to perform tonight and took on John Mayer’s “Gravity.” John tells Ryan that his college group “Purple Haze” wants it’s singer back, based on tonight’s performance, I don’t think they have anything to worry about. John’s singing was weak at best; he fell flat on this song and to make matters worse, it was not even the right song choice for him. Nothing special about this performance at all as John remained stoic and emotionless throughout the entire song. John has the star power of a rock. Hopefully John puts me out of my misery and goes home this week.
Casey James – Contrary to my personal preference for this show, Casey breaks out his blue fender guitar to take on Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be.” Well the first thing Casey doesn’t want to be is that kind of singer. This was a very messy performance of a very good song. Casey took 10 steps back from last week, however, he has star power, good stage performance and the girl’s think he’s hot so he will be back next week. Casey needs to work on his vocals. I really like this guy and this is definitely the right kind of music for him. So if I’m being honest I will say that this was not a good vocal week for Casey. The good news is that he will be back next week to try again.
Alex Lambert – Alex’s first mistake was trying to take on John Legend’s “Everybody Knows.” Now I will admit that I am not the biggest John Legend fan in the world but there are just some things that a geeky white kid should not try to sing on American Idol. It’s difficult for me to get past the mullet and Alex’s outfit tonight. I thought perhaps it was 80’s night and no one told me. The ending vocal on the song was awful. My dog howls a better harmony that what Alex had to offer. Here’s hoping that Alex joins the list of those going home this week.
Todrick Hall commits career suicide tonight by choosing Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Last week Todrick took on Kelly Clarkson and this week it’s Tina Turner. I am beginning to think that Todrick thinks he is a singing diva trapped in a man’s body. Not the right song at all. Todrick completely ruined this song and it’s a real shame that only two guys get to go home this week. If Tina Turner was watching then she is probably crying over the horrendous butchering of one of her hit singles.
Jermaine Sellers takes the Idol Stage next and Jermain could sing the phone book and sound better than Todrick. Jermain decides to take on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” What’s going on is that Jermaine did a great job for a lounge singer. I like Jermaine but I am not convinced this is the competition for him. It was just a slightly below average performance by an average singer. Jermaine should be back next week, I just hope he leaves the Steve Urkle shoes at home.
Andrew Garcia – Honestly, all most anything will be better than Andrew’s performance last week. Andrew steps up to take on James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something.” Better than last week but still awful none the less. I think Andrew was a one hit wonder when he took on Paula’s “Straight Up.” This was a less than good performance by someone who I honestly thought would do well in this competition. In addition to not liking when the contestants use instruments, I also don’t like the dreaded stage stool. Andrew has no stage presence, he was all over the place and this just isn’t working for him at this point. Fortunately for Andrew there were far worse performances tonight and he might just make it back next week to try again.
Aaron Kelly – The photography loving Aaron Kelly went after The Temptations “My Girl.” This is a a huge classic and in my estimation a really big deal for any contestant on the Idol stage to take on. Well Arron did indeed take it on and hit a home run with this one. There were some rough spots, but come on, this guy is only 16 years old and his vocal abilities will mature with time. Aaron was very refreshing tonight and I believe he will continue to do well in this competition. Aaron is consistent, which will serve him well. He demonstrated far more self-confidence tonight than he has in the past and as long as he continues to work hard, he will do well.
Tim Urban – I was pretty rough on Tim last week. Tim only made the top 24 after someone else was disqualified. I agreed with Simon last week that they made the right decision the first time around by eliminating Tim who this week takes on Matt Nathanson’s “Come On Get Higher.” I’m still not sold on Tm’s vocals but this was by far a much better performance than last week. I know this is a singing competition, but I also enjoy hearing Tim talk about his prayer life and how he prays before every performance. Perhaps he can join Simon and Jermaine in Sunday School. This was one of the better performances of the night. This is definitely the right music style for Tim and despite Randy “not getting it” I think Tim did well and will be back next week.
Lee DeWyze – After getting some high praise from me last week, Lee takes on Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel” which is actually a really good song choice because it has been recorded in so many different formats. Lee is my absolute favorite guy in this competition. Amazing vocal tonight. Perfect song choice. Lee is the type of singer who can do this slow ballad and then the very next song on the cd be rocking with guitars and drums. Lee has a great look, incredible stage presence and he will do very well in this competition. Lee will be one of the final two guys this season on American Idol. WOW! What a great vocal and a great performance. I can hear Lee on the radio right now and I look forward to seeing what He does next week.
After watching back Wednesday’s live show here are my thoughts on American Idols’ Top 12 Guys.
Todrick Hall – In his audition, Todrick sang an original song which he wrote and proved he had a pretty good voice. In the live performance Wednesday night Todrick went with Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” Todrick failed to show any star power in his first performance. He came off as just another singer. He demonstrated o.k. vocals but nothing in his performance made me think “wow this guy has it.” He doesn’t. A mediocre performance at best. Ellen said Todrick was a dancer and I agree, except he’s a really bad dancer. I agree with Simon, Todrick murdered the song.
Aaron Kelly -16 year old Aaron Kelly has a really good voice and in Hollywood Week fumbled his lyrics on Sarah McLachlan’s “In The Arms Of An Ange.” On his first live Idol performance Aaron took onl Rascal Flatts “Here Comes Goodbye.” Eric is young yet, and therefore does not have the best vocals in this competition, but the more Eric can stick to these types of songs, the better he will do in this competition. This was a good performance, by a good singer who is likable and who will be back next week.
Jermaine Sellers – A “Church Singer” Jermaine did alright with Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror” in Hollywood. Jermaine has more potential than he is actually using. Live on Wednesday night Jermaine took on Oleta Adams “Get Here” and this was completely the wrong song for Jermaine. He pushed the vocals a little too far and it was quite honestly a train wreck from start to finish. I hope this performance doesn’t knock Jermaine out of the competition because we have yet to see his best. As Simon said, Jermaine is better than this performance.
Tim Urban – Tim was originally cut from the competition by the judges only to make the group of 12 guys after Chris Golightly was disqualified from the competition. Tim performed “Apologize” by One Republic. First of all, if Tim is going to stay in this competition, he is going to have to get a haircut. Aside from that he needs to apologize for singing “Apologize.” This was an awful performance and if Tim were to record it, it would simply never sell a single copy. Simon is right, the judges made the right decision the first time around by not putting Tim through. Weak vocals with an awful song. Tim will do well with the sympathy votes.
Joe Munoz – Joe chose to take on Jason Mraz’s “You and I Both” Joe struggled in Hollywood so much that Simon Cowell told him he really needed to learn how to play the guitar. When Joe went to Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror” in his second Hollywood performance he did a fantastic job. Joe sounded really good and has a great voice. Joe’s only real downfall for me is that he looks like a shorter version of last season’s extremely cocky Anoop Desai, but aside from that I like Joe; he’s kind of a nerd, but I believe he has potential and he should have no trouble coming back next week.
Tyler Grady – Tyler has Kara and Victoria drooling all over him during his audition and probably will have the same effect on the female voters, even if he can’t sing. Tyler took on “American Woman” by The Guess Who and while I thought the beginning part of the song was an absolute train wreck; Tyler brought it on in the remainder of the song. Simon is right, Tyler must spend more time working on his vocals and I believe that Tyler needs to be far more original and pull away from the 70’s. Tyler has the potential to be a front man with a band, but he is going to have to work hard and focus on singing and not posing.
Lee Dewyze – Lee took on Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.” I thought Lee did a pretty decent job in Hollywood; however I am not a fan of of using instruments in this competition. This is a singing competition and sometimes a person can be so good with a guitar that they are judged on their musical playing ability, rather than on their actual singing. Having said that, this is not the case for Lee. At this point in the show, Lee is the top singer/performer. This was absolutely the right song choice for him and I thought he did a fantastic job with this song. His voice stood out from his guitar playing and Lee, at this point has the “it factor” big time. Lee is going to be a star and will be the one guy who can do well this year.
John Park – John, for whatever reason, took on Billie Holiday’s “God Bless This Child.” I’ll be upfront and say that I don’t like John at all. I did not like him during the auditions, I did not like him in Hollywood and his vocals just got worse in his first live performance Wednesday night. Put 100 cats in a sack, drop the sack off the empire state building and the sound they make going down is what John sounded like Wednesday night. John was flat and trying to be a copycat. Complete indulgent nonsense. An awful performance, a train wreck and I’m looking forward to seeing John in the bottom two on Wednesday night.
Michael Lynche – I liked Michael from the very beginning and I predicted that he would be in the top 8 overall this season. Then rumors hit that Michael had been disqualified from the competition because his dad talked to the media and announced that Michael had made the top 24. Now, Michael is back taking on Maroon 5’s “This Love.” Michael doesn’t need the guitar, but he did play it well. Even better were Michael’s vocals. I feel Michael exhibited great vocal control and he is, quite honestly, a naturally good singer with a lot of talent and star power. Michael has a great personality, is always happy and smiling and he will go far in this competition.
Alex Lambert – 19 year old Alex was put down in Hollywood Week by Mary Powers, who was actually eliminated during Hollywood week. Alex still blames Mary for their group falling to pieces but in taking on James Morrison’s “What A Wonderful World” Alex only has himself to blame. Alex chose the song, then sang it and it was not good, not even close. I never understood how or why Alex made it to the top 24. There were so many singers who were so much better. Worst performance of Wednesday night’s live show. Alex will be in the bottom two on Thursday.
Casey James – I like Casey James. He is one of my favorite guys (and not because Kara got him to take off his shirt in the auditions) and after his performance of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” I can say with all sincerity that Casey James is an amazing singer. I really feel that Casey took this classic hit song and made it his own. His vocals were spot on and you know he’s good when Kara is sitting there blushing and smiling the entire time he is performing. That was an incredible performance and it’s funny how Kara fell all over Casey. Casey will be in the final 4. Casey just took the top spot for best performance of the night, but hold on to your pants because Andrew Garcia is about to “main event” the show.
Andrew Garcia -Andrew impressed me in Hollywood when he put his own spin on Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” I was certain that Andrew would be a star and when he chose to take on Fall Out Boys “Sugar, We’re Going Down” on the live performance Wednesday night I though he came across a little weaker than what he is as a performer. This is one instance when I feel the guitar hindered a contestant. Andrew appeared to be someone in a music studio recording a track, rather than a top 24 contestant on the live Idol stage. This was not Andrew’s best performance, but I think he will get enough votes to come back next week.
Tuesday night American Idol was live on FOX for the first time this season. This year’s live performance began with the Top 12 Girls. Here’s my take.
Paige Miles - While Paige does have a great smile and a wonderful personality to match, she began Bad Company’s “All Right Now” flat and then was all over the place with her vocals. Simon and I clearly disagree on Paige’s vocals at this point in the competition. Paige does have a lot of potential but will need to work hard on controlling her range and not allowing herself to run out of control like a run away train.
Ashley Rodriguez – Ashley’s rendition of Leona Lewis’ “Happy” started a little flat. I personally don’t like when I can hear the performer’s breath coming through the mic, I find that to be very sloppy. Based on this performance alone, Ashley has a better chance of winning gold in the Winter Olympics than she does of winning American Idol this year. Simon and I agree, Ashley is going backwards. Her audition was much better than tonight’s performance. Kara DioGuardi said there were some “nice moments” and I agree, the nicest moment was when the song was over.
Janell Wheeler – The on again/off again, sometimes girlfriend of former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow took on Heart’s “What About Love” and I feel Janell only gave about 50% of her potential to this song. Perhaps she was nervous or needs more coaching but this young lady could be a superstar if she learns to use her full potential. She is definitely no Ann Wilson, but her sometimes raspy voice sounds pretty decent. I have to agree with Randy Jackson that Janell has a different voice that I like. Janell has a great personality and fantastic look and some star power potential. She should do well this season.
Lily Scott – Lilly chose The Beatles “Fixing A Hole” The only thing Lily should be “fixing” is her song choice, oh and her singing voice too. I don’t know how or why she made it this far in the competition, perhaps all the other girls were busy. Put 25 cats in a sack and drop it off the Empire State Building and the sound they make going down is actually more pleasant than this chick’s voice. That was simply a freaky, awful version of a Beatles song. Ellen said Lily has a “unique” voice and I agree if unique means awful. I don’t know what performance Simon Cowell was listening to, but I will be surprised if Lily does well in this competition.
Katelyn Epperly – Katelyn was one of these girls from the auditions that I was not so sure about. Watching her audition, there were things I really liked and things I didn’t like at all and so I was looking forward to hearing her on the live performance to see if she brings her “A game.” Katelyn also performed a Beatles song, “Oh! Darling.” Katelyn started off really strong and proved that she has one of the best voices in this year’s competition. Katelyn should have no problems making the final 12 and I predict will be one of the three remaining females this year. Simon and I agree that this was a great choice of song. Kara is spot in that Katelyn looks better naturally, without the make-up. Katelyn brought it and she has the “it” factor.
Haeley Vaughn – From her audition I thought Haeley had an amazing voice and that continued through Hollywood Week and into the live performance. Haeley chose the Beatles “I Want To Hold Your Hand” for her first live performance and this was by far the number one performance of the night! I can’t say enough good things about this young lady. Haeley took this song and made it her own. She smiled, she was relaxed and she hit all the high and difficult notes with great ease. She deserves a huge standing ovation for this performance. I don’t know what Kara was listening to because this performance was nearly flawless. What a great voice and a fantastic performance for a 16 year old! Simon called Haeley a “wind up doll” and said she bordered on terrible and that the performance “wasn’t very good.” Simon!?! Seriously? What show are you watching? Haeley will accomplish this season, what Lil Rounds could not do last season and that’s advance to the finals.
Lacey Brown took on Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and was a huge disappointment. Her performance was an absolute train wreck and that’s being nice. This was an awful performance of a good song and Randy was correct, wrong song all the way. I like Lacey. I like her a lot. I like her look and personality and I like that she is a Christian who is actively serving in ministry. I doubt that Lacey is coming back, but if she does I hope she takes Kara’s advice and performs “Kiss Me.” Simon gave Lacey the same look that he gave Kris Allen when Kris won Idol last season and it wasn’t pleasant.
Michelle Delamor – The former corporate singer took on Alicia Key’s “Falling.” With her voice, I thought Michelle “played it safe” with the song choice. Ellen was right, this song was “easy” for Michelle. The end of the song was better than the start, and like Simon, there was nothing in the performance that made me say “wow.” Michelle has a good look but her eyes say her personality may be much different. She seems smug and a little too confident at this point. I hope we see a different side of her personality next week because she will be back.
Didi Benami – Didi is “my girl.” I really like her a lot; looks, personality and voice. She is not a favorite of most, but I hope she does well. Didi performed “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson and while I take Didi “the way she is” I did not like the song. Had nothing to do with Didi’s performance, just don’t care for that song. Didi looked good tonight; she is fresh and contemporary, has a wonderful personality and an equally great voice. Didi is creative and did make the song her own. Didi will make the top 8 this year with no problem.
Siobhan Magnus – Based on her look and personality, Siobhan’s choice of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” was very appropriate. I have not liked her since her audition, based mostly on her style and look, but apparently the producers want her to have a chance because her Idol makeover made her appear to be an attractive young lady. She is quirky to say the least and she will either excel or have a huge meltdown a la season 9’s Tatiana Del Toro . The first couple words of of Siobhan’s performance had me concerned but she proved that she belongs, at least at this stage in the competition. Siobhan made the song her own and watching the performance back, I actually thought she did quite well and that minus a meltdown, I may actually come to like this girl.
Crystal Bowersox – Crystal took on Alanis Morissette “Hand In My Pocket” and I’ll admit that I’ve been a little “iffy” on Crystal since the beginning, but after tonight, Crystal has won me over. How could you not like her vocals, her guitar work and especially her amazing, incredible performance on the harmonica. WOW. Crystal is original, made this song her own and has the potential to win this competition. My prediction is that we will see Crystal in the top 8.
Katie Stevens – First let me say that I absolutely love Katie. She is a real sweetheart and has a great back story, winning personality and I believe she has what it takes to win this competition at the tender age of 17. Her love and devotion to her grandmother inspires me. However, it is obvious that the producers of American Idol also favor Katie; which was obvious by giving Katie extra “face” time prior to Michelle’s performance, as well as allowing Katie to be the “main event” on tonight’s show. Katie chose Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good” which is far too adult for the innocent 17 year old However I thought Katie began the performance extremely well and I love that she pulled the mic out of its stand and move around the stage. I disagree with Simon, there was nothing boring in the performance. Kara is right that Katie has a natural gift. This young lady has some serious star power potential and a really “big” voice to boot. She was quite incredible and I have no doubt that Katie will be in the finals this season.
I turned on the GMAC Bowl Wednesday night just in time to see Central Michigan’s Antonio Brown return a kickoff 95 
yards for a touchdown. This was not just your average kickoff return for a touchdown, this was a game changing, momentum shifting kickoff return for a touchdown.
A little more than midway through the 4th quarter, Central Michigan trailed Troy 31-19. That is until Brown’s touchdown return.
Central Michigan’s defense held Troy on their next possession allowing the offense to take over and for senior quarterback Dan LeFevour to lead the Chippewas down the field for yet another touchdown, this time giving Central Michigan a 34-31 lead after a successful two point conversion.
With less than two minutes to play in regulation, Troy’s quarterback Levi Brown marched the Trojans down the field and set up a game tying 46 yard field goal.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime. It was in the second overtime where a blocked field goal by Central Michigan’s special teams set the Chippewas up for a 37 yard field goal of their own to win the game in double overtime 44-41.
Central Michigan’s senior quarterback Dan LeFevour finished his last college game going 33 of 55 for 394 yards, one interception and one passing touchdown. He also carried the ball 9 times for 12 yards and a touchdown.
LeFevour now holds the NCAA Division I record for most touchdowns with 150.
When we trust God, we let Him lead us.
When we trust God, we believe He wants the best for us.
When we trust God, we will not be tempted to go astray.
When we trust God, fear and doubt have no place in us.
When we trust God, our troubles and worries fade away.
When we trust God, joy, happiness, and contentment belong to us.
When we trust God, we praise and worship Him freely.
When we trust God, we feel His wondrous grace, mercy, and love toward us, and so much more.
Christmas Eve 2009 – WOW! What an exciting time of year. A few years ago I wasn’t saying that at this time of year, but I am so thankful for the grace that has been shown me and for the work God has done in my life that I am both able to be excited about Christmas the holiday as well as celebrating the Advent of my Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ and also anticipating His second Advent!
This is the first year, that I can think of where all the cards have been sent, the presents are bought and wrapped, the house has been decorated for a while now and we are simply waiting and anticipating Christmas morning.
I have so much to be thankful for and I am blessed far more than what I deserve.
If you know me, then you know that I am not about the “stuff” of Christmas. I’ve seen more people this year excited about the “stuff” of Christmas than ever before.
If the presents and the parties and the bragging on the 4.0 really make you happy, then good for you. Quite frankly, does nothing for me. Never has, never will.
For me, it’s all about Jesus and second to that is spending time with people I love and care about.
Christmas is a time for sharing the presence of Christ with others.
This is my second Christmas without my dad and oddly enough, this one is far more difficult than was the first. So many times this year I’ve wanted to pick up the phone and call him, a few times, waking out of a dream, I have actually picked up my cell phone and dialed the number.
I don’t mourn for my dad, he’s been in Heaven with Jesus since September 2008, going on hunts that he could only dream about in this lifetime and experiencing amazing fellowship with His Savior and Lord and no doubt with my mom. I hope in the 22 years she’s been there that by now, she has learned to cut him some slack. 
What I’ve learned in the past year, more than ever before, is how much I am just like my dad. To those who truly knew my dad, they may wonder if that’s good or bad, but it is by far a very good thing.
My dad was a man of principle who maintained high ethical and moral standards, not to mention the highest of Spiritual standards. I was the only one of my dad’s children to ever spend time talking to him about matters of faith, and oddly enough he would bring them up.
My dad loved the Lord and that was evident in his life. I loved those moments when I would hear my dad praying and he didn’t even know I was there. I loved hearing him express his faith in and love for God. So many times I would come home late at night and Dad always slept in his chair and he’d be sleeping and in his sleep talking to God and telling God how much he loved him. That was just awesome!
My dad would say “Don’t ever be afraid to pray” and that is so very true. He often confessed that God was the best friend he ever had and I knew my dad’s best friends in life and they were some fine people to say the least.
My dad would not back down when it came to standing for what was honorable and right and I am the same way. I refuse to compromise on my principles and especially my faith and God’s word.
My dad left me a rich spiritual heritage and also a heritage of what kind of man to be and did so by example.
What more could I have asked for in a dad?
I’ve been so very blessed this year to be back in full-time pastoral ministry. God brought us to a really great church with some really great people who love Him and while there are challenging times, and while there are sad times, like watching a family spend Christmas in the ICU waiting room while their loved one is dying….God is good and He reigns on high and the Bible says all these things happen for our benefit and I truly believe that. God uses all these things to grow us and shape us and make us into the people He wants us to be for His glory and praise.
Being a pastor is my life. It’s not a job, it’s not a vocation, it is a life to be lived out in the presence of and for the glory of God and how blessed I am that God allows me the amazing opportunity to not just be a Shepherd leader, but to just hang out with folks and build relationships and eat cookies and drink coffee.
Indeed we are preparing for our eternity in Heaven!
To all of my family, friends, those I love and care for, Merry Christmas! God loves you and so do I!
This past Saturday my wife and I saw Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” in the IMAX 3D Experience and all I can say is 
“WOW.”
I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen a movie in 3D, but the technology today is amazing. Add to that the IMAX factor and it was indeed a wonderful, magnificent experience that propelled the viewer into the movie, not only appearing to get snowed on during the movie, but flying at high rates of speed through the streets of London in the 1800’s as Charles Dickens immortal classic came to life on the really big screen!
Jim Carey did a masterful job throughout the movie, as did the entire cast and I enjoyed that Disney stayed as close as possible to the original story.
What began as a Christmas present for my wife, turned into the best movie going experience I’ve ever had. I’ve been to IMAX movies before, but never in 3D.
I was impressed with Disney’s willingness to accurately portray not just the original story but also the Christmas and Christian elements of the story.
There is a string of theological concepts in this movie, mainly as we approach the final sequence when Scrooge is in the cemetery with the Ghost of Christmas Future and he realizes that in order to be a new man he must first die to his old self which is a profoundly dramatic scene of him falling into the grace and then waking up as a new person.
The same is true for all of us who would come to Christ. We must die to ourselves. To our own ways, our own lifestyle, our own opinions and attitudes and wants and desires and we must be willing to put on Christ.
The Bible says if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation and that all the old things have passed away.
Scrooge’s transformation from a selfish life and a life of sin, to a life “in the light” is a remarkable example of what must take place for all of us who would come into Christ as their personal Lord & Savior.
