Platforms - Tony Morgan

I read and saved this back in January. As I re-read it today, I felt led to post on my blog.

This is powerful stuff....and for more on Tony Morgan, go HERE
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There are no shortcuts to having a platform. You have to earn it.

No one owes you a platform.

Sometimes someone who is trusted can help you get a moment on the platform, but you still have to deliver to keep it.

The harder you try to have a platform, the harder it is to get it.

If you do what you’re designed to do and you are faithful to stick with it over time, there’s a good chance you’ll have a platform.

Not all platforms are created equal, but all have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others.

Relationships are the foundation of a platform. If you can’t build relationships, you can’t have a platform.

The person who yells the loudest doesn’t necessarily get the platform.

If you never stop and listen, you probably won’t get the platform either.

If it’s just about you, you don’t have a platform.

You’ll lose your platform if you don’t continue to use it for positive change. You have to move people to a better place.

You’re more likely to leverage your platform if you tell stories that engage both the head and the heart.

You’re more likely to keep your platform if you ask questions.

If people can’t have access to you and your daily life, your platform is probably shrinking whether you know it or not.

Platforms are established over time and lost in an instant.

Lots of people want a platform, but very few are gifted to have a platform and even fewer are humble enough to keep it.

February 24, 1979

31 years ago on this date, Karla and I said "I do" in front of family members and a small gathering of friends in Dallas, Texas. (we were married before video camcorders were invented,
so a few photos were the best we could come up with to capture the ceremony!)


Our life together has never been boring and always fascinating!

I am thankful for our family, our amazing friends, and our incredible sons.
I am also thankful that God brought Arley into our lives, and now Elliott.

I love you, Karla Ruth - you bring laughter and joy to my life!
Let's see if we can do 31 more years!!

Time Stands Still - Part 2

1970 Thomas Jefferson High School Baseball Team - San Antonio, Texas

Coach Arnold is standing at the far left end of the second row.

Can you find me?????

What a fun group of guys - everyone should be a part of team - always!

Time Stands Still

I received a most memorable phone call today sitting at home on a beautiful, (and unusual) warm sunny February day.

The caller ID said Frank Arnold. Realizing that I had written a letter (remember those?) to this person earlier this week, I was not surprised, but then again, very surprised to see that name pop up on my phone caller ID.

Why?

I have not had a conversation with this person in 40 years!

Frank Arnold was my high school baseball coach. I graduated high school in 1970.

One week ago, he was "deservedly" inducted into the
San Antonio Sports Hall Of Fame

When my mom told me this, and then was able to get his home address, I wrote him to congratulate him and to tell him the difference he made in my life.

Coach Arnold was a great coach - he believed in me way more than I believed in myself. The longer you live, the more you realize how important people like Coach Arnold are in your life.

What a joy to "catch up with him" over a 20 minute phone conversation.

Today, I truly feel like time stood still - I visualized being on the field as a 17-year old as this man hit hundreds of grounders to me to make me a better second baseman, but more importantly, his demeanor and his encouragement to challenge me to be more than I believed I could be.

He was grateful for my letter. I was grateful for his presence in my life at a time when I most needed that kind of influence.

Thank you, Coach Arnold, and again - congratulations for the honors bestowed upon you - they are well-deserved!

Music Can Become Boring - Jesus Can't

Since Thanksgiving, every time I sat down to write something in this space, I could not think of anything to write. That's just really sad. Not because I have anything important to say or that people are dying to read my blog (wow - narcissism abounds!), but because there is a ton of stuff going on in my life and ministry right now, and I should be writing about it. For whatever reasons, I can't seem to organize the words in sentences in a way that I believe might be the least bit interesting or helpful to another human being.

December was a very busy month (terrible understatement) of Christmas worship services, our Christmas Concert, and then our Christmas Eve Services. I was able to take two consecutive Sundays off (don't get to do that very often!), and now am back at it in a new year.

After 17 years of worship services and ministry in the local church, I can honestly say that 2010 will be my most challenging. Isn't it interesting that I can already see that, and we are only 8 days into it? There are many reasons, and I will try to be more intentional about sharing the reasons why as the year unfolds.

For now, we have new services and a new campus launching in the next 45 days, and so very much to do in preparation for them!

Some wonderful perspective came upon me today from one of my favorite people - Bob Kauflin. His most recent blog post (Reflections On Turning 55) is powerful. I encourage you to read it HERE

Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving 2009

I spent most of my absolutely beautiful Wednesday before Thanksgiving in my office that has no windows working away on many different tasks that I thought needed to get done before the Thanksgiving break.

My day had a most wonderful interruption by a brief trip down the hall to our new Chapel where I found David Hamilton and Michael W. Smith rehearsing Christmas music.

This Monday and Tuesday - November 30 and December 1, Michael will give a Christmas Concert in Dallas with the Dallas Symphony conducted by David Hamilton. They needed a place to go over the program prior to their arrival there in Dallas.

Selfishly, what a nice pre-Thanksgiving treat!

I came home early today, and after Matt, Ben, and Ben's girlfriend, Marissa worked diligently all day in the yard raking and bagging leaves (much to the sighed relief of my neighbors in the cul-de-sac who were beginning to wonder if caveman lived next door!), I decided to mow the front yard.

Isn't that crazy to mow the yard at 5:00pm on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?

I am grateful for so much this Thanksgiving.

About this time every year, we have what is called our "year-end reviews" at the office. We complete these forms, sit down with our immediate supervisor and go over the "form" and talk about the year. It is always an interesting and healthy exchange that contributes to the effectiveness of me accomplishing what is expected of me.

I listed the following (23) things on my review for 2009 -

1. Celebrated 30 years of marriage
2. Buried my father
3. Knee Surgery
4. Writing - (2) Different Worship Articles for Brentwood-Benson Choral Music Publication
5. Teaching - (5) different sessions on worship leadership at LifeWay Worship Conference at Ridgcrest
6. Consulting - served as consultant to the President of Anderson University in Anderson, SC to help them lay the foundation for a worship leadership degree
7. Co-Producer Annual Nashville Symphony Community HymnSing - becoming more and more of a mission field/outreach challenge and opportunity
8. Hiring Process For New Associate
9. Helped Jeremy Busler with the overall transition from 100% access to him to less access to him "for my needs and the needs of this campus' ministry" while supporting and assisting him in laying the foundation for South Campus Worship Ministry
10. Coached / Mentored Jeremy Busler, Michael Boggs, Shelly Johnson, Jeremy & Maribeth Johnson - established new relationship with Mike Harland
11. Highly Successful Fall Choir Retreat with guests - Dave Williamson, David Hamilton, and Dr. Deen Entsminger - choral professor from Belmont University
12. Highly Successful 09-09-09 Choir Rehearsal with largest choir rehearsal attendance ever at BBC - special guests, Travis Cottrell and Bill Gaither
13. Hosted and taught (3) classes on Worship Choir Leadership at the bi-annual TBC Music Ministry Leadership Conference
14. Established the additional worship service support position of Stage Manager and immediately "grew" the roster of Producers and Stage Managers from 6 to 8 members who are all highly trained and equipped to handle the details and flow of our Sunday Worship Services
15. Coordinated guests and other additional worship leaders - Steve Green, Michael Boggs, David Hamilton, Jeremy Busler, Shelly Johnson, Jeremy & Maribeth Johnson, Kids Choirs, Good News Singers, Mike Harland, Deaf Church-Led Lord's Supper
16. Coordinated (6) different and definitely unique Summer Sundays in the absence of the choir & orchestra - string quartet, bluegrass, VBS-team, 70-piece Orchestra, 4 pianos, David Hamilton & band - jazz morning.
17. Christmas CD - (including for the first time - Kairos and South Campus)
- and all the related mission outreach efforts associated with it
18. Christmas Eve Services - coordinating efforts to "start over with blank piece of paper"
19. Coordinated, documented, and led weekly worship planning meetings keeping all involved and necessary parties "on the same page" with regard to programming, "messages", "must do's", and attempting to stay focused on the main objective of our worship services - to the extent that that was possible.
20. Assisted, supported, and empowered Jeremy & Maribeth Johnson to further the Music Missions partnership with South Africa as they led the 2009 team in March.
21. Continued to help develop the Masi Choir CD project - getting Michael W. Smith and Jars Of Clay recorded on the CD.
22. Through our 2007 partnership between Michael W. Smith and Living Hope, MWS contributed his portion of the royalties from CompassionArt Project - $5,000 thus far.
23. Led Worship Choir through devotional book - Humility - True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney.

At the end of the review form, we are allowed to make additional personal comments.....
I wrote the following that sums up my heart on this day before Thanksgiving:

"Another interesting and often difficult year of personal stuff intertwined with the load that comes with this position. I continue to marvel at what God does since I consistently wonder how things can ever get done in my limited capacity of energy, knowledge, and skills! I am grateful that God has sustained me thus far through year 16 - never in my craziest dreams could I have imagined......and in and through all of this, I still believe we have yet to see God's best work -and at least for me, that's what keeps me going..."

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who read this entire blog entry!!

P.S. I miss you today, Dad.....

Mid-November

The longer I do what I do, the more I realize how my work and pace have certain patterns to them. I know that gearing back up in August for the intensity and work load of each Fall is a ton of work with a ton of things always going on.

This Fall was no different.

When we plan for, prepare for, and record our Christmas CD, we have to do that early in the Fall in order to get everything done in time to have CD's by Thanksgiving. Add to that the weekly planning, the planning for current and future growth, and let's just say it pretty much stays crazy.

A few years ago, Karla and I decided we would take a break every Fall right around the time when we have completed the Christmas CD project and it is no longer in our hands with any further deadlines to meet.

This year, for our time away we ventured into some new territory (literally)....

My first ever visit to the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. The closest this Texas boy had ever been to this area was to drive by it on I-40 headed east.

It was a great weekend getaway - perfect weather and gorgeous views.

God sure did good when He created all of this!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Elliott!

My grandson is 2 today - can't believe it!

What a joy to everyone he meets!

So grateful for the time spent with him on Friday.....

love you, E.....