Looking Back on 2008

It's almost Christmas. I can't believe it. 2008 whirred by. My baby boy is turning into a rambunctious little boy....and my wife's belly has gotten bigger! Work has been crazy. My music career has been crazy. Do you know that I played over 40 gigs this year? AND kept a full-time job! And was still able to be daddy and husband. Whew! I'm exhausted! This past year has come with all kinds of ups and downs. Here are a few of the "ups":

• Morgan celebrated his first birthday in 2008. That was definitely an "up."
• He also started calling me "daddy." Oh...heart melt!
• We found out that Morgan is going to be a big brother! Huge "up!"
• I released my new album, So Human in 2008.
• My first single from the album, Open Up the Darkness, landed at #18 on the CRW Rock Charts. That's a good thing!
• I updated my website....with a whole new look and feel.

And, here are some of the "downs":

• We went through a "restructure" at work. My job changed quite a bit. And I've really been struggling with it. (But I'm very thankful to have a job!)
• This year, I really struggled with a problem that has bothered me for a long time. I wish I could say I've overcome it...but I haven't. I appreciate your prayers.
• I've had a couple of friends who desperately needed prayer for loved ones who were sick or hurting. But perhaps this should be an "up" because so many of you prayed and God was gracious in both cases.
• The economic slump sent millions of people into joblessness...and millions more wondering where their next meal was going to come from. The housing bubble burst and we are all feeling the effects.
• The year started with the Giants winning the SuperBowl. Ugh. No one hates the Giants more than I do. And this season hasn't been all rosy for us Cowboy fans either.

All in all, I guess it was a fairly typical year. Ups...downs. In betweens. I look forward to 2009. We have a new president. We have renewed opportunities to live out our faith for a hurting and dying world. In April, there will be another member of the Glenn family. I can't wait to hold our little baby boy! Yeah, 2009 looks to be pretty promising. And who knows, I might even record a few new songs!

Update on Collin

Hi friends, Just got an update on Collin, the 18-year old who was involved in that horrific car crash in Texas. His mom, Lois Buford, sent me this email this morning: "I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me a sinner condemned unclean! God is so good to me. My sweet 18 year old boy who was so badly broken just last week, stood today with the help of a walker specially designed to hold him up with his elbow! I am so overwhelmed by God's mercy and provision. So many precious people who love me and my family have just been so kind. Collin had customers who love him come and pray over him at his bedside. The Mayor of Forney prayed for my boy at the beginning of the Christmas Parade! I'm just so blessed. Wanted you to know that God is healing the brokeness and restoring Collin to us. Thank you so much for your prayers and those who read your blog.

Love you in Christ, Lois" Thanks to all of you who have been lifting up Collin and his family in prayer.

Oh how marvelous! Oh how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be... Oh how marvelous! Oh how wonderful!

is my Savior's love for me.

A Friend In Need...

This morning, I received an email from a friend in Texas. She is in need of prayer. Lois Buford's teenage son, Collin, was involved in a horrific crash on highway 80 near Forney, Texas last Wednesday.

Take a look at the pic and you'll know exactly what I mean by "horrific."

I can't imagine how scary it must be for a parent to see their child go through something like this. I hope I never know. But right now, the Buford family needs prayer. Collin has already undergone three surgeries. He broke his right leg, arm and crushed a vertebrae in his lower back.

That's a lot for an 18-year old to endure. It's a lot for his parents to endure. Will you take a moment and lift up Collin Buford in prayer? Will you also pray for his parents, Philip and Lois Buford, as they watch their little boy go through this?

If you'd like more information on the accident, you can check out the story here.

Tim Partners with iTunes To Bring You Music For Christmas!

Hey gang! Just wanted to let you know that we've got an agreement with iTunes that allows you to give my new album, So Human, via iTunes, for Christmas! Here's all you have to do: 1. Click here to open up the iTunes Store page for my album. You'll see a page that looks like this: <----See this little icon to the right of the album cover? It says "Gift this music" with a little red package. Click on that icon and follow the instructions from there. You can gift the entire album, or choose which songs you'd like to send to someone. A unique, personal, inexpensive gift for Christmas! God bless! tim

Stocking Stuffer!

Hi gang! Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer this Christmas? This week, we're kicking off an exciting Christmas promotion. As you know, Tim's new CD, So Human, just released this month. Between now and December 15th, if you order a copy of So Human, we'll send it to you, AUTOGRAPHED and WRAPPED for Christmas. All you have to do is stuff it in the stocking!

It's easy! Just send a check for $17 ($15 + $2 s/h) to:

Tim Glenn Music

7103 McEwan St.

Colorado Springs, CO 80922

*Make sure you put a note with your check that says "Christmas Special" and we'll make sure you get your wrapped, autographed copy in time for Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Become Part of My Street Team!

We're less than a week away from my CD Release Concert and I'd love to have your help with some promotion. No, I'm not going to ask you to beat the streets with flyers in hand (though, if you're willing, please let me know!) But I would appreciate it if you'd take some time to let your friends and family know about the concert through your email and social media websites: I've got two banners created...the first is an animated gif promoting the upcoming concert, the second is just a jpg promoting the CD itself. I'll let you decide which one you want to promote. First, to promote the concert, right click on the image below and "save picture as" and save it as a gif. Then you can paste it into your blog. If you could make the pic link to www.timglennmusic.com/cdrelease that would be great. Or you can simply copy this picture and add it, to promote that the new CD is available on iTunes:

And, on that one, if you could make it link to: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=295964773&s=143441

that would be awesome! That's a direct link to my page in the iTunes store.

Thank you for your support!

tim

We're #18!

So exciting! My first single off So Human, titled Open Up the Darkness, just debuted on the Christian Radio Weekly Rock Charts at #18! Yay! Thank you everyone for your support! Please call your local station and request that they play "Open Up the Darkness" by Tim Glenn.

You Can Now Buy So Human With a Credit Card!

Thanks to all of you who sent in checks to order So Human hot off the presses! You've helped make this a very successful launch for my new project! For those of you waiting to purchase the CD or download the mp3 tracks using a credit card...it's now available via CD Baby. CD Baby is a supplier to iTunes. But it takes iTunes a lot longer to get a new CD into their system. (Could be another month or so.) But you can go directly to one of their suppliers, CD Baby, and order it directly from them. And...it's actually cheaper. There are 17 tracks on So Human. Through iTunes, you have to pay 99cents per track. That's $16.83. But through CD Baby, you can download the whole album or purchase the CD for only $14.99! Just click on the screenshot below to read more about the album and even listen to several of the tracks ahead of time:

Order now and you'll still be ahead of the crowd. The CD Release Concert/Party isn't until November 21st.

Thanks again for your support!

It's a...

BOY! Yep! Went to the doc today for an ultrasound and found out we're having another little boy! Morgan is going to have a little brother! (He has no idea what that means yet, but he's very excited!--as are we!) Mom and baby are doing great. Everything looks to be progressing normally. Here are a couple of pics of our baby boy, whom we've dubbed "lil' bean."

What a cute little nose, huh? While we were watching him, he opened his mouth, put his hand up to his mouth...and then even got the hiccups.

And, I'm told that the arrow in the pic below is pointing to his little boy parts. (I know, it's not nice to point. And it's certainly not nice to show off your boy parts to the whole world...but, I'm making an exception on both counts--this time only!)

Jen and I would appreciate your prayers for a healthy pregnancy with no complications...a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

Due date is April 10th.

The New Website Is Here!

Well, it's taken me awhile, but I've finally finished. When you're an indie artist, you sometimes have to do this stuff for yourself. I simply can't afford to pay a web developer. But I wanted to update the look for my website, while still maintaining simple functionality. So, you can still listen to music, view photos from my travels around the world, read about my upcoming gigs, shop for music, read my bio or sign the guestbook and say hello! There are also links to my facebook page, my myspace page and this blog. I think it's done, but I need your help. Would you please spend a few moments on the site and let me know if there's anything missing...anything not working? (It's best when viewed in 1024x768 or higher resolution.) Just click on the screenshot below to visit the site: Thank you! tim

"There's Probably No God..."

I don't know about you, but I don't think about spiritual warfare everyday. I work for a Christian ministry. I am a Christian musician, writing Christian songs. I lead worship at my Christian church. I may be so surrounded by other like-minded folks, that I forget there are people out there who very much want to tell the world that my religious beliefs are a lie.

Consider this new ad campaign, by a group of athiests in London:

Photo from AFP.com

The banner on the famous London double-decker bus reads:

"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enoy your life."

At first glance, you might think it's a typical attack from athiests. But look closer. Pay attention to the words. "There's PROBABLY no God."

This is an interesting tact by the non-believers. If the banner had simply said "there IS no God" they'd be written of as extremists. But with this wording, they appear more approachable, don't they? This group knows exactly what they're doing. They're trying to plant seeds of doubt, because they know they can't outrightly claim there is no God without proof. But if they can get you to consider that there PROBABLY isn't a God, then they've won the battle. It's a slippery slope from there, folks.

The rest of the message is interesting too. Coming at a time of economic uncertainty. Coming at a time of turmoil...war...the message is simply: "Don't worry. Enjoy life. Why bother stressing and praying about such things. Just enjoy life!"

What's sad is that it's that very message that brought us to this economic instability to begin with. "Enjoy life. Get a bigger house that you can't afford. Spend money on things you don't need. It's okay. It'll all work out in the wash." Now, somehow, this group believes that the same message will get us out of it?

Jesus said,

"The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." --John 10:10

Now that's enjoying life. I invite you to pray that this ad campaign will be an unmitigated disaster for this organization. Pray that they can't rest or "enjoy life" until they come to see the message they are spreading for the lies that they are. May they come to know true joy. May they come to know the one who gives life more abundantly.

Sick Boy

The past few days, my little boy, Morgan, has been sick. Nothing too serious...but enough to make him cry out in pain from time to time.

I don't know about other dads, but it absolutely shreds my heart to see my little boy in pain. Oh, I hate not being able to take that away. When he looks at me like, "daddy, make it go away." Ugh.

I am very thankful for my job. It affords me much more than the opportunity to put food on the table (which is a much-appreciated accomplisment)...but it also allows me to provide medicine for when my little guy is sick. It allows me to know that he's safe at home with his mommy while I'm at my desk. And, since I work for such a wonderful ministry, it also allows me to help take care of children living in extreme poverty around the world--who can't afford medicines or food without our help.

Still, when my little guy is sick...I just wish I could stay home and hold him all day long. That beats a good day at work any day.

My First Big Boy

So, I had to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan this week for work. I'm driving down 28th street when I see him. I've heard about him in movies...trivia questions...but I've never seen him in person. There he was, in all his fiberglass glory...with a doo-wap hairdo and checkerboard overalls. Big Boy. "I've gotta eat there!" I yelled in my car, though there was no one else to hear. I immediately called my wife. "Jen! They have Big Boys here!" "Huh?" "Oh...sorry...the restaurant!" "Oh, yeah, I used to eat at those all the time growing up." "Oh, I've never been to one. I'm going to go there for lunch!" So I did. Hmmm...maybe it was just because I had built up all this hype but I gotta say, I wasn't that impressed. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with pepper jack cheese...and bacon. Oh, and a Diet Coke. Never got a refill on that drink, even though it was empty before I was halfway finished with my burger. The fries were okay. (Remember, french fries are my most favoritest food in the whole world!) The season salt made 'em a little better. And then there was this little bowl of cole slaw. Yech. I don't particularly like cole slaw and I'm not sure why it comes with a burger and fries...but hey...if that's part of their image, I'll go with it. All in all, it was an okay dining experience. Nothing to write home about. Wait...I guess I just did.

The CDs Are Here!

They've finally arrived! The first batch of So Human CDs is here! The UPS man delivered them this afternoon (thanks Mr. UPS guy!) To give you an idea of how long I've been waiting to have this CD in hand, ready to sell...well, our first studio recording session was in August of 2005. That's right--over three years. But the songwriting began several months before that. So this project has taken nearly four years to complete. (Of course, I took a few months off during my wife's pregnancy and a few months after Morgan was born too...but still-four years!) Part of it is that I just wanted this project to be as good as possible. So, I was extremely picky...finicky perhaps. We added songs mid-stream, subtracted songs. We brought in musicians and vocalists and then brought in more. It was a lengthy process, but the end result, I believe, is the best CD I've ever produced. The songs on So Human are honest...they are real. There are lyrics that I think you will definitely be able to relate to, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey. So...how do you get one? Glad you asked! Right now, the CDs are only available by sending a check for $17 ($15 for CD, $2 for shipping/handling) to:

Tim Glenn Music

7103 McEwan St.

Colorado Springs, CO 80922

If you want to purchase with a credit card, you'll have to wait til they're available through iTunes and/or CDBaby. That will take about another month. Or you could come to my CD Release Concert on November 21st. Here are the details:

Tim Glenn CD Release Concert

Friday, Nov. 21st

7:00pm

Rocky Mtn. Calvary

4285 N. Academy Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO

FREE!

God bless! Tim

Big Day!

Today is a big day! For a couple of reasons: 1. The final artwork and audio master have been approved for my new album, So Human, so that means the copies are being burned and printed right now. Yep, as you're reading this, a factory in New Jersey is making mass quantities of my CD for sale. Yay! It will be available through my website in about two weeks. It will be available via iTunes and CDBaby in about 4-6 weeks. 2. Today starts the national radio promotion for my first single from So Human. The song is called Open Up the Darkness and it's being promoted to nearly 1000 Christian radio stations (mostly Christian rock) across the country. One station, WSNL in Flint, Michigan, has already started playing the song. Wanna help? Contact your local rock radio station--Christian or secular--and ask them to play Open Up the Darkness by Tim Glenn. You can also hear the song on the music player on this page! The date for the CD release concert has been set. Info is below.

Change

Change. I've never been a big fan of that word. This week, there's a lot of change going on at my job. And I'll be the first to admit, I don't like it. I don't like moving offices. I don't like changing job titles. And if I hear the phrase, "we're going to stretch you" one more time, I'm going to punch somebody. I hate the corporate mentality that says we have to keep making our way up the ladder or else we're considered complacent, lazy. What's wrong with liking the way things are and wanting to stay there for awhile? I'm a firm believer in the Peter Principle. If you're not familiar with it, basically, it says that you can be promoted beyond your usefulness. Indeed, in my career, I've seen many people who are really good at their jobs get promoted to jobs where they're extremely incompetent. A job well done, it seems, is rewarded with a promotion...until the job is no longer done well. I'm also a firm believer in the adage, "If it an't broke, don't fix it." And this week, we're "fixing" a lot of things at work that were, in my opinion, working just fine. Nay, they were working better than they ever have before. It's frustrating. Disappointing. And it has stolen much of the joy I got from my job. But I'm happy to have a job that allows me to put food on the table. I'm glad that I can support my family with my career. So, I smile...play nice...and continue climbing the ladder to incompetence.

Fan

This past weekend I sang on the worship team at my home church, Rocky Mountain Calvary. It was such a nice release. I can honestly say that I desperately needed it.

Just before one of the services, the entire worship team was backstage with pastor Eric, when the conversation turned to football. Eric said, "I could take it or leave it. I don't really need to watch the games, just hear the scores once they're over."

WHAT!!??? My jaw dropped. My eyes bulged. My heart raced. What sort of human is this? What sort of being doesn't live vicariously through his/her football team? I'm sorry. This does not compute.

Needless to say, I'm a fan. As in short for fanatic. As in my life is seriously affected by how well my team does. I can get physically ill if my team is playing poorly--I kid you not. I'm a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan, so you can pretty much guess that I've been physically ill for the past 11 years--at least during football season. This year, the team looks good. (But it's still early in the season, and as the Patriots learned, anything can happen.)

That got me to thinking though. I wonder why? Why are there so many fans, like myself, who take the game so seriously? At the risk of being completely transparent, wouldn't it be nice if I was as passionate about my job as I am about my football team? Or what if I was as passionate about my religion as I am about football? Some fans I know are more passionate about their team than their own family. Though my wife may say I get there sometimes myself, I'm not quite that bad.

I don't think.

Crud.

I may be.

I guess, in a way, it's sad what we choose to be passionate about. When I'm gone, if someone ever asks "What was Tim passionate about?" I don't want the only answer to be, "The Dallas Cowboys." I want people to know I'm also passionate about my family, being a dad...I'm passionate about making honest music that people can relate to. I'm passionate about releasing children from poverty. I'm passionate about finding meaning in this life. And I want to be known for being a passionate follower of Christ. I've still got work to do in those areas, but I want my passion to grow. You could say I'm passionate about being passionate! Ha!

What are you passionate about?

The Truth

Dear friends, Today, I open up in a way I never have before on this blog. Today, a little brutal honesty: Truth is... I am struggling with a "thorn in my flesh" that has plagued me for a long time now. I don't want to go into details, but this is something I just haven't been able to overcome. And I'm tired of it. It's beating me up, affecting my home life, my job and my friendships (or lack thereof). Truth is... I am human...a soul wrapped up in a weak, fragile mass of bone, muscle, fat, nerves and tissues. But sometimes that weak shell is more powerful than me. And lately, it's winning this internal battle that I deal with. The spirit is willing...truly willing and aching to be whole. Truth is... I need transformation. I need healing. I need to muster up strength of will like I have never been able to before. I need to stop putting it off as "just something I'll always have to deal with." I need to overcome. Truth is... It's embarrassing to even have to ask for help. But I'm there. I'm broken to that point. I need your prayers.

#2 Is On The Way!

You know, sometimes God's blessings are small. Sometimes they are huge. In this case, it's a small blessing thats huge! My wife and I just recently found out that baby #2 is on the way. Yep...hard to believe, but there's gonna be another little Glenn runnng around! I'm not sure why, but it still doesn't seem real. It took me forever to comprehend that Morgan was coming into our lives. (Now I can't imagine life without him.) And now he's going to be a big brother. And I'm overtaken by emotions and memories from Morgan's birth--holding him for the first time, his tiny hand wrapped around my finger...itty bitty toes. And I'm told that this is normal, but I worry about how I could possibly love another child the way I love my firstborn. It's incomprehensible right now. And so exciting. Wow. Projected due date is April 10th. Please keep us in prayer as we try to prepare for this little one. Financially...emotionally...pray for Jen's health and the baby's health...and, we've also got to tackle some space issues. Our little house is suddenly going to start feeling a little cramped!

The Latest...

So, we finished the mixing, mastering, etc...for So Human a couple of weeks ago. But I still haven't sent everything off to the duplicators. There are some forms to be filled out, and some arrangements to be made regarding digital distribution, (it's going to be available on iTunes, digistation.com and a few others.) Plus, I'm waiting to have an insert created by Compassion International, that will promote their child sponsorship ministry. I want everyone who gets a copy of my CD to be able to learn about the incredible work that Compassion is doing in the lives of children in poverty.So...all that to say...it will be at least four weeks AFTER I send the stuff off before I have the album ready to sell. I'm hoping to be able to send it off late this week, or early next week. So, that would put availability at the end of September/first week of October. BONUS: Since you've been so patient, I have included some of the new songs on the player on my page here. You can listen to some of the songs that will be on the album now!

What Does That Even Mean?

When it comes to sports, there's one phrase that I just can't understand. I mean I flat out can't comprehend it. A lot of people say it...but to me, it's a foreign concept:

"I just play for fun."

Wha?! What does that even mean?

This week, the organization I work for will host its annual employee fun day--we call it "Day on the Green" or DOTG for short. At DOTG there will be crazy relays, a dunking booth, a spirit competition, etc...but the focal point of the day is the annual volleyball tournament. Yep, a bunch of cubicle-laden co-workers get out on the grass and try to knock a ball over the net...some of them for the first time in their lives.

It's hilarious. Unless you take competition very seriously.

Which I do.

So, you can imagine how frustrating it is for me to see players who insist on being part of the team, even though they're afraid of the ball.

Why would you put yourself through that?

Or another thing that absolutely kills me is those players who are unwilling to move to go after a ball. Oh sure, they'll swing at the ball, if it's within their reach, but God forbid they have to move a couple of steps!

Now, I'm no great athlete. (I know, I know, that comes as an absolute shock to many of you.) But I am not afraid to dive for a ball or jump up to block a heavy-handed spiker. When I'm done with a game, I'm winded...I'm tired. I worked. I certainly didn't stand around enjoying the scenery.

I play to win. And if you're not in it to win it, then seriously, I'd rather not be on your team. And it's not so much that I hate losing, it's just that I would rather lose trying...than to coast through any sport with a half-hearted effort.

I'm sure you're thinking: "Tim, chill...it's corporate FUN day." I understand that. But this is just how I was made. So forgive me if this concept of "just playing for fun" is foreign to me.

I just don't get it.

FINISHED!

I'm so stoked! Last night, 8-8-08, (which was also supposedly the start of some big sporting event--wink wink!), we finally finished the album. Just to give you an idea of how long we've been working on this project, our very first recording session took place on 8-29-05. That's right...almost THREE YEARS AGO! And that doesn't include the time writing and learning songs BEFORE we started recording. (Now, of course, we took a lot of time off, to have a baby and all...but it's still been more than a three year process.)

All the recording is done. All the mixing. The mastering.

Now, the cd is ready to send off for printing, duplication, etc. And, I'm also excited to tell you, Chris Tschamler has come up with some great new artwork for the project. Check out the new album cover: Sweet huh?

I'll let you know once the cd is in ourhands...and ready for sale! Probably another 4 weeks or so.

Tim Vs. The Incredible Hulk

Jen and I went to see Hellboy II: The Golden Army last weekend. It was okay. About 20 minutes into the movie, I thought, "this is terrible," but it eventually got better. Some decent action scenes, decent animation. I loved the movie Pan's Labyrinth and this was directed by the same guy...so maybe I was expecting more. Plus, after watching Dark Knight a couple of weeks ago, it was just no comparison.


But, as we were leaving the theatre, I saw, hiding in the shadows of a corner down at the end of the hallway, a massive, hulking figure. It was, indeed, The Incredible Hulk. I gave Jen my phone and asked her to take a picture of me battling it out with the Hulk. Here it is:




Hey...I'm standing my ground! I'll take on the big, green guy!

Great Quotes from the 15th Century

I read a wonderful quote from a German monk who lived in the 1400's today:

"God often gives in one brief moment that which He has for a long time denied."

-Thomas a Kempis

Hmmm. Ain't that the truth? The first thing I thought about when I read that quote was how God gave me a son, made me a daddy, after years and years of pleading Him for just that. I wish I could say I spent those 15 years of wanting to be a daddy holding onto faith...trusting in God. But instead, I spent them bitter. I spent them angry at my Creator. I spent them refusing to get too close to Him, out of spite.

And then...in one brief moment...God gave. God answered. Regardless of the way I treated Him, He gave me the gift I longed for...for so many years. Man, we have a loving, forgiving God!

Kempis had a couple of other great quotes:

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be,

since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."

and

"If thou bear the cross cheerfully, it will bear thee."

Guess he decided to go all King James English on us for that last one...but I love it! Isn't it amazing that, over 500 years ago, someone had figured out all this stuff...yet here we are, with amazing technology, science, thought processes, and we are still learning these lessons?

While I Was In Church...

I was in church this Sunday morning, listening as my pastor taught a wonderful lesson from the book of Matthew. It was a typical church service...like many other Sundays. We worshipped, chatted with friends, learned a powerful lesson from the Word of God and went home to make some lunch. But while I was sitting comfortably in my church in Colorado Springs, Colorado...over 200 members of another church, in Knoxville, TN, were running for their lives. Witnesses say a 58-year old man burst into the church, yelled some profane things...and started shooting. Two people were killed, as of last report, but several more were in critical condition. One of those killed was a brave 60-year old man who stood in front of the shooter to shield others from being hurt. Eventually, members of the congregation tackled the man and were able to hold him until police arrived. My. What a world we live in. Please pray for the members of that church. News reports say the shooting took place as children were peforming a program for the service. Think about how traumatic that must've been for those children. Please pray that they will be able to erase those sounds and images from their precious little minds. Please pray for the families of those injured, killed and shaken up.

Morgan Meets Chipmunk

I'm at a conference in Chicago...so my wife took Morgan to the zoo today. There, he came face to face with a little chipmunk. I can't begin to tell you how much I wish I had been there with him. Thankfully, Jen videotaped it, so I could see. Here's the video clip. It's only :16 long:

Final Mixes!!!!

While you were gathering with friends and family around the grill yesterday for the 4th of July, I locked myself in the recording studio for 12 straight hours...and finished mixing the new album, So Human!

Mike Manthei, the engineer, was gracious enough to give up his Independence Day celebrations too, so we could get this crucial stage of the album done.

That means all the songs are mixed...ready for mastering! We're getting close! We've got another couple of weeks to go...for mastering, etc. And the graphic design for the album isn't finished yet. So, it's conceivable we could have everything done by the end of July (though that's pushing it. Most likely mid-August.)

But you don't have to wait til August to hear some of the songs.

Listen now!

See the music player just to the right there? I put some of the new mixes there. You can hear the final mixes for:

So Human
My Cross
I'll Drive Yesterday
Open Up the Darkness
Come With Water

Thats just 5 of the 13 songs that will be on the album. Enjoy!

Hancock! On IMAX!

So, being the superhero fan that I am, I couldn't wait to see Hancock. The idea of an everyman who becomes a reluctant superhero sounded really appealing. And...as an added bonus...it's showing on IMAX.

So...the very first day tickets became available...I bought two of 'em online for the 8:05 showing--opening night, Wednesday, July 2nd. We scheduled a babysitter...even had her come early, so we could beat the crowds. I've been thinking about this movie all week!

The sitter shows up at 6:45. The theatre is only five minutes away, so after chit-chat and stuff, we make it to the theatre by 7:00...an hour early. We make our way to the IMAX doors, fully expecting a line. There isn't one. No one is there. Hmmm...interesting. So we walk right ino the theatre. It's already dark. The trailers have already started...and almost every seat is taken.

What the?... It's only 7:05. The movie isn't supposed to start for another hour. What's going on?

So, assuming I misread something, I go back to the ticket guy and ask him to see the tickets I printed out at home. Sure enough. They say:

Hancock

8:05pm

July 2, 2008

IMAX

"Ummm...I'm here for the 8:05 showing. How is it that the movie is starting now...at 7:00?"

"Oh. I think we changed the time." the ticket-taker says.

"You what!!!???" Man, I was ticked. How can they change the time AFTER I've already bought tickets? My wife and I were able to find seats...they weren't great...but we at least got to see the movie.

Now...was it all worth it? You bet! I loved this movie! Now...the storyline takes some twists that I absolutely DID NOT EXPECT (which can be a good thing--and in this case, it was) but this is a good movie. I definitely want to see it again. Will Smith is great. Jason Bateman does a really good job...and Charlize Theron does too. An all-around good flick.

One warning for parents: There's quite a bit of foul language in the movie (which is somewhat surprising for a Will Smith movie) so you might wanna think about that before taking little ones.

A New Way of Writing

I wish I could say I've been doing a lot of writing lately. I haven't. (Which is pretty obvious from my lack of regular posts here) But I want to write more...I really do. To make things even more frustrating, I've actually been coming up with more ideas to write about, than actually writing them. I have ideas for five books, three devotionals and a couple of video concepts. I just can't seem to sit down and find the time to flesh them out and put 'em down on paper--er, computer. But I have had time to do one thing: Make up songs for my little boy. Even before he was born, Morgan had some songs written for him. The first was simple. I would lean into my wife's belly and sing:

Morgan...beautiful boy. Morgan...it's your daddy!

Then, once he was born, I wrote this for him:

You're such a beautiful boy, baby Morgan.

Oh such a beautiful boy, baby Morgan.

And daddy loves you, yes he loves you

Oh he's always gonna love you

baby Morgan...baby Morgan.

And then I'd repeat it and change "daddy" with "mommy" and "he" with "she."

This past week, I wrote a new song for my little boy. I was rocking him to sleep at bedtime...when I came up with this lullabye:

Good night...baby

Good night...son

It's been a long day of playing,

but now the day is done.

Good night, sweet boy

Good night to you.

Lay your head down and close your eyes

May all your dreams come true.

So, it isn't exactly the type of "writing" that I normally do...but I'm having a blast doing it!

My Own Little Adam

My son, Morgan, is 15 months old now...and his personality is developing quickly. He's an absolute sweetheart. He loves to cuddle with the dog and cat...and his stuffed animals. When he sees Lucy, our dog, he'll say "Soosie!" (He's still working on the "L" sound.) and hug her while saying "oooooohhhh!" What can I say? He's just a cuddler. (And that just breaks my heart! :-P)

But lest you think my son is nothing but sweet...he knows how to throw a temper tantrum too. And lately, he's developed a bit of a defiant streak. For example:

He loves to play in the back yard. We have a really large back yard...plenty of room for him to run, etc. In fact, he loves to pretend he's "mowing" the yard.
And since daddy won't turn on the mower while Morgan is pushing it, (mean, mean daddy), Morgan has to make the mower sounds himself. But that's kinda fun too.

But there's one section of the yard that I'd rather he stay out of: the far back corner. There's a bit of a steep slope there, some rocks, small drainage pipes...and a wall made of railroad ties that aren't as stable as I'd like them to be. So I've made it very clear to him that he's supposed to stay away from that part of the yard. "

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,

"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

you shall not eat..."

So...we go outside...and he walks around in the grass...plays with the rocks for awhile. Then, he gets that defiant look. It's almost a devilish grin. He looks right at me, the corner of his mouth turns up...his bright blue eyes light up...and he turns and high-tails it for the far corner of the yard. "Morgan! Where are you going?"

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to

him, "Where are you?"

Little stinker! Who says we're not born with a sin nature?

Something We Can All Do

I know times are hard right now. Gas prices are up. Grocery prices are up. But trust me, as much as we're feeling the pinch, it's nothing compared to the hurt millions are feeling around the world. Please watch this quick video message from the Dr. Wess Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International...and take part in the fight to keep millions from starving in the midst of this global food crisis. There's something we can all do.

Thank You!

Thanks to those of you who prayed for my health over the weekend. Somehow, I was able to pull off the gig on Saturday night. It must've been the prayer, cuz during the gig, I felt fine...but as soon as I walked off stage, the nausea came back. I tried to eat a salad for dinner, but couldn't finish...my stomach was just too queasy. I've managed to keep a few things down over the past 24 hours. But I haven't had a meal since Thursday night. Thanks again for the prayers.

Sick

Hi gang... Well, I had to cancel my gig last night because I've been hugging the porcelain for the past 24 hours. Around 5am on Friday, I woke up, feeling sick...and it was downhill from there. Never fails, everytime I use a vacation day, I end up staying in bed sick! Ugh! Thankfully, I'm feeling a little better today. I was able to eat some toast...and a little bit of soup. I'm going to actually try to do our gig tonight at SpiritFest. Please pray for a little supernatural healing. Thanks!

Two Gigs

Hi friends! I have two gigs this weekend. I'd love to see you at any one of 'em. On Friday night, June 13th, I'll be playing/singing with the worship team at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Monument. It's a neat little church with about 60 people in attendance. Good people. Great teaching. Service begins at 7:00pm. There's a time of fellowship and snacks afterwards too! On Saturday, June 14th, I'll be playing at SpiritFest on the Riverwalk in Pueblo. It's an all-day Christian festival that takes place all along the riverwalk. There are several stages that will host musical artists from around southern Colorado. I'll be performing on the main stage in the amphitheatre at 6:00pm. We'll be performing some original tunes from my upcoming album, So Human, as well as tunes by Hoobastank, Lifehouse, Collective Soul and Daughtry. Admission is free. After we go on, Christian artist Jaci Velasquez will be performing on the same stage. Come check it out! Hope to see you this weekend!

Pray for Chris

Hi gang! I have a friend named Shannon Steele. Her brother is in need of some serious prayer. It's a bit complicated, but basically it all started with a problem with his wisdom tooth. The pain got worse and eventually, led to some sort of infection. Now, Chris is in ICU in California, under heavy sedation, breathing with the help of a ventilator. He's got a feeding tube to keep him nourished, two open incisions on the side of his neck to allow fluid to drain. Needless to say, he's in serious need of prayer. So is his family. As you can imagine, it's very hard to see your loved one suffer the way Chris is. Would you please pray for Chris Ballard to fully recover from this problem? Please pray for the infections to go away. For the swelling to go down. Please pray that doctors would be able to control the fluid buildup around his heart. Pray that the antibiotics would work. And pray for Chris' family as they struggle through this with him. If you want to keep updated, you can find the latest information here on Shannon's blog. Thank you!

My Movie Star Name

Ya know, if I wanted to become a movie star, I'd have to change my name. That's because there's already an actor, registered with the Screen Actor's Guild, named Tim Glenn. His real name is actually Timothy Glenn Roberts, but I guess Tim Roberts was already taken, so he chose Tim Glenn. I know this because he's the reason my music website is http://www.timglennmusic.com/ instead of just plain timglenn.com. He beat me to it...and he's not willing to sell. Trust me, I tried for years.

So...that got me to thinking: What if I became a famous Hollywood star? (quit laughing...seriously, quit laughing...okay now you're just being rude!) Anyway, IF I were to become a famous Hollywood star, what name would I go by?

I could try to make it sound like I'm related to someone famous.
How about Tim Pitt? Tim Jolie? Or Tim Clooney? Tim Cruise perhaps? Nah...then, even if people assumed I was related to the famous celebrity, they'd just treat me like a B-list actor...like Chad Lowe or Stephen Baldwin. Besides, you can only pull it off, if you at least look a little like the celebrity. Ain't nobody confusing me with Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise these days! Ha!

I know! I have a nephew named Grey. I think he has the coolest name ever. Maybe I'll steal it from him and go by Grey Glenn. Now that would be a cool name. But it's not really fair to my nephew, is it?
Hmmm...any suggestions?

How about you? What name would you go by, if you were a movie star?

Everybody's Looking For Something

There's a lot of hype about the new Indiana Jones movie coming out this summer. I admit it, I'm looking forward to it. I love the Indiana Jones trilogy. So the prospect of a fourth installment has me giddy!

But I had never heard of the crystal skulls that are featured in the new flick. That is, until now. The Sci-Fi channel recently aired a 2-hour documentary on the mystery of the crystal skulls. It was hosted by Lester "I used to be a journalist, now I host cheezy documentaries" Holt. I'm ashamed to say I watched the entire two hours. Not because it was compelling. Not because it was even informative or thrilling. I watched it because it was disappointing. Poorly produced. And some of the people they interviewed as "experts" are people I wouldn't even allow in my home. They were just that far "out there."

To save you the heartache, I'll tell you that the entire documentary followed one man who owns a "crystal skull." (Whether it's an original sculpture from the Mayans is unkown. Of course, he claims it is.) He believes the skull is one of 13 that was either created by the Mayans or given to them by aliens from outer space. And he believes, as apparently do many people, that the skulls hold secret powers. Some say that bringing the 13 together is the only way to avoid the "end of the world as we know it." (The Mayans predicted that will happen on December 21, 2012.)

But what was really sad was seeing how many people traveled hundreds--thousands--of miles to "worship" this skull. They bowed to the crystal skull. Kissed it. Prayed to it. Performed ceremonies around it. Even though they have no idea where it came from or what its purpose is. How can someone worship an idol that they know so little about?

Like Indiana Jones, everybody seems to be on a quest. Everybody's looking for something these days. Something to fill that void. How sad it is that people are willing to put their faith in a chunk of rock...instead of believing in a Creator who loves them. I'm glad that our Savior left us a love letter that explains His plan for salvation so clearly. I'm glad that He didn't leave the answer to eternal life a mystery. I'm glad that we don't have to worship an inanimate object.

Sitcom Songs

I love sitcoms. I really do. Maybe it's because I feel such a need to laugh lately. Work is stressful. Gas prices and grocery prices are putting quite the pinch on my family. Sitcoms are a nice release. And I'm so thankful for Monday nights. Monday seems to be the toughest day of the week to go to work. But on Monday night, I get to watch 4 sitcoms in a row. First, there's Big Bang Theory (one of my absolute favorites.) Followed by How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and Rules of Engagement. Yep, Monday nights are a good time to laugh, relax and let go of the pressures of the day. If only life were like sitcoms. If only every problem was solved with a smile and a punchline after thirty minutes (22 minutes after you factor in commercial breaks!) Wouldn't that be nice? Christian music, I think, has become quite like a sitcom. On the rare occasion that a Christian song will address any real-life issues, they quickly resolve it with a happy-feel good ending. I'm not dissing that. But I wonder if there's room out there in Christian music for songs that don't resolve every issue in two and a half minutes. That's what you're going to find in my new album, So Human. Not sure how it will be received, but it's what I feel called to do right now. I want my songs to be an honest look at my spiritual journey. Yes, there's a "happy ending" to the album, but not to every song. You have to listen to the project in its entirety to get your sitcom smile. I'm not against the songs that are so popular in Christian radio today. I know there's a reason for them. But I also worry about those people who don't know God...wondering what they must think of this "happy feel good religion." Do we honestly portray Christianity in our Christian music? Anyway. Just something I've been thinking about lately...a lot.

One More Track

Hi gang!

Tonight, we will record the last track for the So Human album...a guitar track that my co-songwriter, good friend and amazing guitarist Brian will be laying down.

That means that, after this weekend, all that's left to do is mix the album! That will likely take a few weekends...into mid/late June. Once the album is mixed and mastered, it will have to be sent out for printing and duplication. That's another three weeks. So it's possible we could have the project in hand by the end of July!

:fingers crossed:

Guatemala

Hi gang! I'm off to Guatemala this weekend. I'll be gone through next weekend. This is a trip with Compassion International. We'll be working on a radio special while we're in country. The focus of this radio special will be to gather the perspectives of American youth on global poverty. So we're taking three 12-14 year olds with us to meet kids their age, living in abject poverty. We'll visit their homes and the Compassion projects where the kids go for food, fun, fellowship, shelter and after-school tutoring. While I'm in Guatemala, my wife and son are traveling to Kansas to be with her folks. Please pray for safe travel. As I've said before, I absolutely hate having to leave my son for this long. And now is such a crucial time in his development. He's 13 months old. Just starting to walk. Already saying a few words. But he's also at the point where he loves to have daddy hold him. And, as you can imagine, daddy loves that! So I'll miss that for a full week. Ugh. This is my second trip to Guatemala. I went back in December of '04. It will be great to see some of the Compassion staff that I befriended on my first trip. I'll probably write a post or two while I'm in Guatemala, just to let you know how things are going.

The Nighttime Terrorist

"A terrorist that strikes at night." That's how Dr. Scott Todd with Compassion International describes the Anopheles mosquito. This tiny little terrorist, prevalent in tropical areas and thriving in stagnant waters, claims over a million lives every year. Most of them are children. Most of them are in Africa.

Malaria is a completely preventable disease. We all but wiped it out in the United States 60 years ago. Yet every 30 seconds, it's claiming another life.

Today is World Malaria Day. A day set aside to remember those lost to this terrible disease...and hopefully, a day to get involved in the fight against malaria. I know you're busy. We all are. But at the very least, can you pray for the victims of malaria? Could you spare $10 to buy an insecticide treated net to protect a little boy or girl from these tiny terrorists who spread the malaria parasite?

There's no reason for children to die of a preventable disease. Get involved today.

Crunch

So...after 25 years of driving, it finally happened. My first accident. I was on my way to work this morning. It was beautiful...sunny. I had the top down on the Jeep, singing along to Extreme's Hole Hearted. There was one car in front of me doing about 30mph when the light turned yellow...and it appeared she wasn't going to stop, so I figured I'd follow right behind her. Mistake. She DID decide to stop. She rode her brakes pretty hard...and I slammed on mine. Only my big bruiser jeep has anti-lock brakes and 33 inch tires. It wasn't going to stop anytime soon. It felt like an eternity. I put all of my weight into both feet on the brake pedal as I focused on the back end of her brand new, shiny silver 2008 Nissan Sentra. CRUNCH! "*&^%$#!" Yeah, I said a few things I'm not proud of. I immediately jumped out of the car to ask her if she was okay. She said "Yes." Thank God. I asked her to pull over to the shoulder and she did. I called the police. It took forever for them to get there. Meanwhile, there's that feeling of being on display for everyone else who's driving by. The shame. I exchanged information with the other driver. I got a ticket. The back end of her Nissan with the temporary paper plates was scrunched...caved in. Undrivable. My Jeep, on the other hand, looked like it had nothing wrong with it. Except the license plate was a little bent. After all the dispensing of information, I drove away...leaving that poor woman crying there. But thankfully her husband had arrived to console her. Ugh. What a crappy way to start the day...for both of us. Thankfully we both have insurance. More importantly, thankfully, no one was hurt.

Waterboarding

I'm going to step away from my "christian artist/speaker" hat for a moment and talk to you strictly as an American. I realize I'm taking a huge risk talking about this, but it's something that has really bothered me for the past few days. I'm a bit ashamed that our country, under the direction of our president, is using horrible torture tactics to get prisoners to talk. I'm talking specifically about waterboarding. It's the act of holding a person's head in place, while he is strapped to a table, and pouring a constant stream of water into his mouth/nose. The prisoner feels the water entering his lungs, because he has no opportunity to take a break to hold his breath. He's constantly feeling the sensation of drowning. Here's a video, released by Amnesty International that shows how cruel it can be: I just don't know how Americans, in good conscience, can tolerate this. We yell "boycott the Olympics" because of China's record of human rights violations...yet we allow this to happen in our country. I'm not equating this to the terrible things China has done, but I am saying that it's torture. Cruel torture. I urge you to go to www.unsubscribe-me.org and read more about how you can help bring a stop to this kind of behavior. It's not like us. We're better than this.

Bumper Stickers

I like to read bumper stickers. They say a lot about a driver's personality. Some are funny. Some are crude. Some are big and bold...while others have such small text that it's almost impossible to read. (So, if I'm riding you pretty close in traffic, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just want to read what it is that you're so passionate about that you'd advertise it on your car.)

My wife was called up for jury duty once last year. As she was sitting in the courtroom with other potential juror candidates, one of the lawyers asked, "What bumper stickers do you have on your car?" He knows that bumper stickers say a lot about a person's passions. She doesn't have any bumper stickers on her car. Neither do I. But I do enjoy reading them.

But some of them are just plain confusing. Today, I saw a couple of bumper stickers that just threw me:

"I love ghosts."

and

"I walk in the ways of the ancient ones."

Okay, aside from the fact that those are just odd messages (I certainly don't get what the second one means), but I couldn't help but wonder: Who makes these bumper stickers? Who said, "Ya know, I bet if I create a "I walk in the ways of the ancient ones" bumper sticker, it would sell like hotcakes!" Isn't the point of marketing to create a product that has a mass audience appeal?

Some of the best bumper stickers are political in nature. Here's one that I saw...that I just love!

And another that makes a really good point:

Now those, I imagine, DO have mass appeal!

What bumper stickers do you have on your car? Or at least share some that you like.

I'm So Excited!

This past weekend, I spent some time in the recording studio...and we are definitely getting close to finishing the So Human project!

Yesterday, Bret Major came in and recorded a kick-butt bass track for Simple Me. Then, I had to do some background vocal work on a song called, I'll Drive Yesterday. I was really struggling with the song and had pretty much decided that if I couldn't get the background vocals to work, I was going to scrap the song. Luckily, I was able to make them work. So the song stays!

All that's left is a lead guitar track on Forgive and Forget...and background vocals on Turn Your Eyes. Then we start mixing!

Best case scenario: we could have this album ready for duplication by the end of May. Though that may be a bit of a stretch, because I'm pretty much booked with something every weekend in May. Ugh! So, most likely, we'll be ready for duplication sometime in mid-late June. It will take about three weeks or so to get the CDs back in hand...so they should be ready for sale by mid-July! Yay!

I'll be sooooooo glad to get this project finished...and make it available so you all can hear what I've been working on for the past two years! (With an 8-9 month break to have a baby of course!) Once we have a more firm date for the cd release, we'll start booking concerts to promote it.

I'll keep ya informed!

Beautiful

Typically, I steer away from using the word, "beautiful." I think it's severely over-used in our society. We've gotten to the point where anything we find pleasing is "beautiful." I don't think so. To me, the word should be powerful. It should only be used in those instances where words like "pretty" and "pleasing" fall way short.

I know I'm opening up a can of worms here, because beauty is a relative thing. I'm well aware that beauty is "in the eyes of the beholder." This beholder, however, has rarely seen it. But I would like to share some of those instances with you. These are some of the things that I find beautiful:

This is a grandmother in Bolivia...raising her three grandchildren by herself. Their father left them years ago and the mother passed away. A grandmother, struggling in poverty, working hard to feed, clothe, shelter and provide an education for three children that are not her own. That's beautiful.

This is Rosicela. I took this picture moments after she met the man who sponsors her through Compassion International. A few weeks before his visit, he sent Rosicela some money for her birthday. She decided she wanted to use some of the money to buy a new dress. She wanted to wear that dress when her sponsor arrived weeks later. Here she is, proudly wearing her new dress...and holding on to the stuffed moose her sponsor bought her. It was an absolutely beautiful moment to see the two of them meet face to face for the first time.

This little boy attends a Compassion project in Kenya. What I find beautiful about this boy is that he lives in extreme poverty on the outskirts of Nairobi...where HIV is rampant. Despite the deplorable conditions, look at the hope in his eyes. Look at the smile on his face. It is sheer beauty when a child can find a reason to smile amidst those circumstances.

Lest you think I can only find beauty in people, here's a flower I saw in Guatemala. I don't know much about flowers. I'm sure someone can tell me what kind of flower it is. But regardless, I find its intricacies and delicate design beautiful.

This is a brother and sister at play on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. Look at the debris in the foreground. Look at the slums in the background. Two kids...just being kids...and playing in the dirt, in the midst of so much despair...well, to me, that is beautiful.

This is Yasmin. I have traveled to seven countries now with Compassion and I have never seen a more heartbreaking home than Yasmin's. Her entire house was the size of my laundry room...and it was made of scraps of wood, tin and even some old billboards. The floor was dirt. The stove was a pot. No running water. No electricity. Her favorite toy was this headless doll. My heart broke when I saw her. But then I saw her mother interacting with her. There was so much love in that tiny little house of scraps. It was, without a doubt, beautiful.

American Idol Includes Jesus

Okay, follow-up to yesterday's post. Last night, the finalists on American Idol sang Shout to the Lord again...but this time, they included the name of Jesus! Whoa! I wonder if there was some pressure for them to do it? I've seen a lot of blog posts lately...some saying it was wrong of them to change the words from "My Jesus" to "My shepherd" on Wednesday night. Others say American Idol has no business doing any religious songs at all. Some interesting debate. Regardless, last night, the name of Jesus was sung for millions of people to hear...once again...and I love it! On a side note: I think the way Ryan Seacrest handled the whole ousting of Michael Johns was in bad form. "Last year on Idol Gives Back we decided not to eliminate anyone...but this year...(pause, pause)...we're saying goodbye to Michael Johns." Bad form. Really bad form. "Glenn out."

Jesus On American Idol

Anybody else notice how much Jesus has been mentioned on American Idol lately? Here are some lines from songs that have been sung on Idol in the past two weeks:

"We've all been crucified and they nailed Jesus to the tree

And when I'm born again you're going to see a change in me." --sung by Jason Castro

"I've got all I need. I've got Jesus and gravity." --sung by Dolly Parton

"He said He'd never forsake you or leave you alone. Trust Him.

Right here by my side. Carry me home. Jesus!" --sung by Mariah Carey

"Shout to the Lord all the earth, let us sing!

Power and majesty, praise to the King!" --sung by the top 8 finalists during the closing ceremony of Idol Gives Back.

Now, for sure, the folks at American Idol know that Christians are big "givers." So it's smart on their part to include some religious overtones into the show when they're trying to bring in donations for the Idol Gives Back program. But isn't it interesting that the name of Jesus--considered so "offensive" by many--is brazenly uttered on the most-watched television show in America so much lately?

Don't get me wrong. I think it's wonderful. Who cares what their motivation, if any, is? In Philippians, Paul says:

But what does it matter? The important thing

is that in every way, whether from false motives

or true,Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice.

-Philippians 1:18 (NIV)

Amen!

Real People

There are two commercials on the air right now that bother me. Both for the same reason. One is a KMart commercial, showing four women dancing around in their new outfits they bought from KMart. The voice-over says something like:

"These are real women wearing the latest fashions--and they bought them at KMart."

The other commercial is the Pizza Hut spot where families are gathered at what appears to be a fancy Italian restaurant. They are eating pasta, laughing, joking...only to find out that the pasta was prepared by Pizza Hut...not a top chef. Again, the caption on the screen reads something like:

"Real people at a tasting event."

Man. I'm glad they told me those were real people. What...am I supposed to think they are some sort of animatronics or something?

I know what they're trying to say. "These are not paid actors." So say it that way! But to infer these people are real because they're not actors is a bit silly, isn't it? What? Are actors not real people?

I think what bothers me most is that the messaging further perpetuates this celebrity obsession we have in this world, where "real" people are separated from the supermodels, actors and rock stars. Last I heard, celebrities still put their pants on one leg at a time. (Though some may have someone to do that for them!) If we are "real" and they are not, then what are they? And are we to infer from these messages that being "real" is something less than desirable?

I think I'd be even more upset if I were a celebrity. Imagine someone saying to you, "You're not a real person...you're a celebrity!" What?!

I have news for you, Pizza Hut and KMart, we are all real people.

TimBits

I'm in Canada right now, London Ontario to be exact, for some meetings with Compassion International.

Last night, we visited a place that Canadians say is a "must-see" for visitors...a place called Tim Horton's.

I'm not sure how to classify the place. They sell donuts, coffee and tea...so it's sort of like a Dunkin' Donuts, I guess. But they also sell roast beef sandwiches, so they're kinda like an Arby's too. No french fries though. (What's up with that?)

But I got a chuckle out of the "donut holes" they sell...which they call TimBits. Of course, I had to take a picture of a TimBits box.

Okay...go ahead and start with the jokes.

When the Sneetch Children Cry

Hi friends, I'm one of the contributors to the Compassion International Blog, and my most recent post, When the Sneetch Children Cry, is now online. Come check it out when you get a chance. And while you're there, you should scan through some of the great writers we have contributing to the blog. I think you'll find their entries heartwarming, informative and inspirational. Thanks!

What Type of Song Are You?

Last night, as I was watching one of my favorite TV shows, Scrubs, one of the characters, JD, described himself by saying what type of song he is. He described himself as an 80's pop song. I think of myself more as a pop/rock song. A little edgy, but with a predictable hook...that keeps repeating itself. (Or in this case, who keeps making the same mistakes in life over and over again!) Maybe I'm like a Nickelback song. They're a pop band that sounds like a rock band. Ya know what I mean? They have a good rock sound, but if you analyze their songs, you realize they are more pop than anything else. I think I'm like that. I'm a rock song on the outside with pop on the inside. Ha! I tend to put up the front of a hard-nosed guy who would rather spend life alone than with a crowd, but inside I'm a bit of a softie who quite honestly wants to be accepted and needs interaction with other human beings from time to time. Wow. That was a lot more revealing than I cared to be. What type of song are you?