Classless

I already told you about August Rush, the recent movie my wife and I saw during Thanksgiving weekend...but let me tell you about what happened just before the movie. Keep in mind we were on a date, leaving our baby boy at home with his grandparents. You may not know, but we went through nearly 12 years of thinking we weren't going to be blessed with children. Then, our little miracle came along. Morgan is our pride and joy. I love him more than I can put into words. And even though it was Jen's mom and dad watching him...it was still difficult to leave him at home while we went to a movie. So, we're a little stressed as it is. Then, the lights dimmed and the previews began. The very first video starts with a closeup of Jennifer Anniston. She looks directly into the camera and says, "Your son will not live to see his next birthday." Jen and I just looked at each other and she started to cry. What a horrible thing to say to someone! Especially a new mom and dad who are at a movie, leaving their baby boy at home. It was an ad campaign by St. Judes Children's Hospital. I know what they were trying to do with the ad campaign, but I think it's tacky and classless. Shame on St. Judes. I can't believe they have to stoop to such cheap scare tactics to try to drum up donors. I don't like this campaign by St. Judes at all...and I sent them an email to say just that. I hope you will do the same by sending them a message here.

August Rush

My wife and I recently saw the movie August Rush. It was during Thanksgiving weekend. Her parents came down to celebrate the holiday with us...and they decided to babysit Morgan so we could have a "date night." Without spoiling too much, the story is about a boy who grows up in a children's home and is on a quest to find his mother and father. He's convinced that the only connection he has to his parents is music...and he's right. They were both musicians. Turns out, this little guy is a phenom. He can play a guitar pretty much the first time he picks it up...he learns how to master piano within an afternoon...and his first composition is picked up by the New York Philharmonic. What makes his character so interesting is that he hears music in everything. The noises of the city...the rush of wind through a wheat field...the shuffle of feet on the subway. Everything is a song. I related to this kid on so many levels. No...I'm nothing close to a musical genius. But I've been accused of "turning everything into a song" on many occasions. In fact, I've often joked that I "have a relationship with music." I don't know how to explain it any better than that. I just feel like it's a part of me. Me without music isn't me at all. I also grew up in a children's home...so I related to many of the feelings young August was dealing with. I highly recommend the movie. It's a "feel good" movie. It's a good family flick...though I will tell you that the only disappointing part of the story is that August was born as the result of a "one night fling" between two musicians...though they end up pining for each other for years. Check it out.

Thankful

It was just a few short years ago. I was shoveling two tons of rock in my back yard. The July heat was unbearable...but I could see the clouds coming over the mountains a few miles away. I was rushing to get the rock into the right area of the yard before the rains came. I didn't make it. The dark clouds moved fast...first a few drops...then a drizzle. Then, the lightning. I raised my shovel into the air, tempting the electric bolts to find my makeshift lightning rod. "You want me?" I shouted to the sky. "Come and get me!" The neighbors must've thought I was mad. And I was. I had been dealing with a lot that year...my job as a television news anchor was no longer enjoyable. I was struggling with the idea that here I was, in my late 30's, and had no idea what I was supposed to do with my life. And most importantly, I was bitter. I was angry because for years I had asked God to make me a father. Give me a child I could hold in my arms...love like only a father can. But He had not answered my prayers. The night before, I was at the neighborhood Target store, combing through the sale rack of the Men's section, when I heard a sweet child's voice behind me. "I'm lost" she said through her curly blonde locks that dangled in front of her huge brown eyes. Her chubby cheeks did their best to hide the sad hint of a cry on her little rosy lips. She was as beautiful as a 6-year old girl could be. I knelt down in front of her...and assured her that I would help her find her mommy. I lifted the girl up and carried her on my hip over to the customer service area. She completely trusted me to help her. And she felt so natural in my arms. A couple of minutes after we arrived at the service desk, a very nervous mother came rushing to the counter, relieved to see her sweet daughter. It was the final straw for me. "How cruel," I thought, 'God must be...to not answer my prayer, but bring that beautiful young girl into my life...to hold for only a brief minute or two." And that is what brought me to this rainy July day in my backyard. Angry at God. Challenging my maker to meet me face to face there among the two tons of pink granite. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for a God who does not give me what I deserve. And who, on March 21st of this year, did give me what I had prayed for, for so many years...my beautiful baby boy Morgan. I can't imagine life without him now. He is truly an answer to prayer...many tearful prayers. Being a father brings me more joy than I ever imagined possible. Thank you, God...you are good beyond anything I could ever deserve. You are forgiving beyond what I can possibly comprehend. Your grace is more than sufficient...it is overwhelming.

Avoiding the Titanic

Yesterday, my wife and I visited the Titanic exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Wow. There was so much amazing stuff to see. First of all, you're given a "boarding pass" with the name of someone actually on the ship. At the end of the exhibit, you can find out whether you survived or were among the 1,522 lost at sea.

There's a huge chunk of ice---an iceberg--that you can touch. You can walk down a hallway that was remade to look just like B deck on the ship...even see replicas of first and third class rooms. The exhibit includes jewelery, dishes, watch fobs, clothing and furniture from the doomed ship. It was a bit haunting to realize that you were ogling the personal effects of someone who died a cold and horrifying death in those icy waters some 95 years ago. All of these items sat at the bottom of the ocean for 70-plus years before being brought up for us to see. But of all the pieces on display, one item really stuck out for me. A pair of binoculars.

You see, when the Titanic launched, the crew forgot a crucial piece of equipment. They forgot to provide a pair of binoculars for the lookouts working in the Crow's Nest. Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee stood up in the post of the forward mast looking out for icebergs. The ship had received a couple of iceberg warnings hours before her fatal collision.

If Fleet or Lee had been given the much needed binoculars, would they have seen the iceberg long before it was too late? Would the disaster have been avoided? Think about that. Over 1500 lives spared. A tragic story never written. Someone on that ship had a pair of binoculars. Today, those binoculars are sitting in a glass case in the Titanic exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Had that person just loaned the binoculars to one of the lookouts, perhaps there never would have been a Titanic tragedy.

That got me thinking. How many times in our lives are we in a situation to help someone out of a problem with something we already have? Is there a child in your church who would love to go to summer camp, but just can't afford it? Do you have the money? Think about how that could change that child's life. The experiences...the lessons learned...perhaps the disasters avoided. All because you loaned your "binoculars" to someone who needed them.

This holiday season, we have a lot to be thankful for. But I wonder how many families are facing disaster out there, waiting for someone to lend them a pair of binoculars. How many disasters can be avoided by our willingness to share what we have...with someone who desperately needs it to survive?

Perpetuating the Myth

I've been thinking a lot lately about Christian music...specifically worship music. (Which only makes sense, since I'm a Christian musician and a worship leader.) But you may not like, or at least not agree, with some of the things I believe...and have to say. You see, one of my pet peeves about Christianity in general, is how we (yes, myself included) tend to perpetuate this myth that once you accept Christ as Savior, you don't struggle with the things of this world anymore. And one of the ways we perpetuate this myth is through our music. Let me give you an example. There's an old hym that says:

"Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before."

Is that true? Does life just get sweeter every day after you've accepted Christ? I don't think so. Now, if you're talking about the sweetness of knowing, everyday, that you are one step closer to heaven, maybe so. But my life experience has been that, since accepting Christ, my life has had ups and downs...good days and bad days. So I have a problem with that song. I think it's misleading. I think people who don't know Jesus may get the wrong idea from this song.

Here's another example, from a contemporary Christian worship song:

"Every move I make I make in you,

You make me move Jesus...

Every step I take I take in you."

Really? Every move? Is that even possible? It's a fun song to sing. Heck, I've even performed it in the past. It was originally written by David Ruis, and published by Vineyard Publishing. And it's very popular in churches across the country. But I have a problem with it. And here's why: what about that sin you committed this morning? Was that a move you made "in Jesus?" What about that lustful thought about the girl you saw behind the counter at the department store? "In Jesus?"

I understand what the lyricist is trying to say. I just don't believe it. Or maybe he's on a spiritual plain that I am nowhere close to achieving. Regardless, for those who don't know Christ, this is a good example of why we're called hypocrites. We can't claim that "every step we take is in Jesus" then sin. The two contrast. And when an unbelieving world sees that, they discount Christianity as a religion of liars...people who say one thing and do another.

I realize I'm going to draw some criticism for saying these things, but it's just something I've been dealing with lately. It's the reason I am recording this new album, So Human: Because I believe there needs to be more Christian music out there that reflects real life...the valleys as well as the peaks...the good days as well as the bad. We need to be deliberate about meaning what we sing...and singing what we mean. I fear that too many congregations these days sing along without paying attention to what they are saying.

I'm getting close to finishing this album. Maybe it will be ready for release sometime early Spring 2008...God willing.

In the meantime, I would challenge you to think about the songs you're singing in church. Do you really mean them? Do they truthfully reflect your experience as a believer?

Something to think about.

Superbaby

My son, Morgan Douglas Glenn, will be 8 months old next week. I'm just amazed at how fast he's growing. Heck, I'm still shocked that I'm a daddy! I am so in love with this little guy.

A couple of weeks ago, he mastered sitting up on his own. Now he loves to fall over, just so he can sit back up! He's not quite strong enough to pull himself up to a stand yet, but if you stand him up at the edge of something, like a coffee table, he can hold on and stand on his own forever.

This pic is of him in his Superman costume. Doesn't he just look like he's ready to take off and fly? For those who don't know, I'm a huge Superman fan. I jokingly told my wife that if he was born with black hair and blue eyes, we'd name him Kalel. Well, he's definitely got the blue eyes, but looks like he's going to have daddy's brown hair.

That's okay. I love his name. He's named after a Christian music artist that was instrumental in me becoming an artist myself. His name is Morgan Cryar. I used to listen to his stuff all the time in college. I loved his sound...and thought he had a pretty cool name. His music influenced me to get involved in Christian music. The summer after my senior year in college, I entered a vocal competition in Dallas...and ended up winning. There were two prizes for first place:
1. I got 12 hours of studio time at a recording studio in Nashville. It's where I recorded the majority of my very first solo project, Shock the World. (Available only on cassette--I have a case of 'em in my garage!)
2. I got to open up for Morgan Cryar at a concert. What a blast!

Back to my boy. He's sleeping through the night now, which makes mommy and I both happy. And the most awesome thing: Sometimes, when he wakes up in the morning, he sings in his bed. It's all just baby babble, but he loves to sing! And I love to listen to him.

Adventures with Chong

I get my hair cut just about every three weeks. I always go to the same place: Chong's Hair Salon. It's a small salon in a strip mall about two miles from my home. It's owned by a widowed Korean woman...named Chong. While she does a great job of cutting my hair, I like Chong best for her personality...and her sense of humor. She is a character. In fact, I think she would make a great recurring character for a Saturday Night Live skit. Somehow, she manages to insult me just about everytime I sit down for a cut...but she does it with such disarming wit and charm that I just laugh along. Here are some of the barbs she's hurled my way while trimming my mane:

"Next time you come in, bring some SuperGlue. I'll try to fix those bald spots for you."

"You know, most people who come here have more hair than last time they were here. You always have less. Before long, you won't need haircuts anymore!"

When I walked in the door one day for my appointment:

"What happened to you? Did you get scared? You have so much gray hair today!"

"You should take pictures of yourself now, so your son can see what you looked like with hair when he gets older."

When I told her I used to be a news anchor:

"You used to be on TV? Did you have more hair or did you wear a wig?"

Yet I keep coming back for the abuse! Seriously, it's all in good fun and I actually look forward to my haircuts with her now. But I just had to share a few of her comments with you. I'll write more as I go for future haircuts.

Me and the 'Boys (Part 2)

Since my last post including pictures of the Dallas Cowboys from the October 14th game against the Patriots drew so much response, I've decided to include a few more photos today. (Click on any pic to see a larger version.) Enjoy!



Terrell Owens stretching before the game. Look at the size of those biceps!




Patrick Crayton about to haul in a pass from Tony Romo.



Marion Barber chats it up with Jason Garrett.



Sam Hurd catches a toss from Tony Romo.



T.O.



Jason Witten.



Brad Johnson warms up before the game.

Jacques Reeves, Pat Watkins, Nathan Jones and Evan Oglesby jogging onto the field.

T.O. catches a pass on the three yard line. The refs would say he was out of bounds when he came down with the ball. Replay suggests otherwise. It's okay. A few plays later, T.O. catches a pass for a T.D. (See Me and the 'Boys, Part 1 for that pic.)



Patrick Crayton hauls in a touchdown pass.

Greg Ellis...with Bradie James in the background.

Two Patriots wrestle T.O. after he catches another pass for a first down.

For the guys.

Since we're showing pictures of girls...ha!

Me and the 'Boys (Part 1)

I am a Dallas Cowboys fan. Have been since I first saw Roger Staubach throw a pass...and Tony Dorsett plow through defensive lines. I stuck with 'em through the lean years before Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmit Smith came along. I survived another drought after those golden years...and am anxiously waiting to see how the rest of this season plays out.

On October 14th, I got a chance to go see my 'boys play against the New England Patriots in Dallas.

Yeah, we lost. But being there in Texas Stadium was incredible. 50-yard line. 19th row. Amazing seats. I went to the game with my brother. We got there a couple of hours early, so we got to see the players warming up on the field before the game. I had my Nikon D80 with me...and started snapping off some pics.

One of the security guys guarding the gate to the field asked me a question:

"Hey...you wanna go down on the field to take some pics?"

"Heck yeah!" I replied like an overzealous 10-year old Beaver Cleaver.

"Slip me a twenty and I'll let you on the field."

So I did. I paid the 20 bucks and spent the next hour or so on the field, taking snapshots of my favorite players...Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Marion Barber, Roy Williams, DeMarcus Ware...it was a Cowboys fan dream come true!



Tony Romo and Terrell Owens chat during pre-game warmups.





Terrell Owens takes a lap around the stadium...with cheers from Cowboys fans and jeers from Patriots fans.






Tony Romo stretches before the game.





Terence Newman.







DeMarcus Ware.








Roy Williams, Keith Davis and Jacques Reeves run a few sprints prior to opening kickoff.





Anthony Fasano catches a pass from backup QB, Brad Johnson during pre-game warmup.









Patrick Crayton gets a toss from Tony Romo.




And now a couple of pics from the actual game:



Marion Barber breaks free around the outside for a huge gain.







Terrell Owens catches a pass and runs it in for a touchdown.


Yeah, we lost the game. But the experience was amazing.

Go Cowboys!