50 years old! A Movie a Gig and old friends.
A friend of mine has just contacted me from the states, it doesn't seem days since we last met, although it has been a few years but Rick Bartlett is now Dean of Students at MB Biblical Seminary in Fresno (www.mbseminary.edu) and I'm thinking "he's too young" then I realised when I was 50 this week, time is flying by. So Rick, Karen, Grace and Toby may God bless you and your family (and I so miss you)!
Wow 50, once I thought that was ancient now I think its great, honestly life has got better as I have got older, as each year goes by something new arrives that makes it feel great to be alive. Yeah, well my body does get stiff after lugging my bands touring gear around, and yeah I have got tinitus all the time, but my sons are now 15 and 12, the movie I am making, "The Empty Photograph" is in the final days of shooting (both on camera and literally with hand guns) and post production is going well. Some of it looks and sounds great other bits need some work but hey it won't be long before a new "Indie" film hits the screen.
On Eagles' Wings is going well and we've had all ready over 350 people from all over Liverpool and the North West taking part in this season's On Eagles' Wings fresh expression of Christian worship event. If you can make it I would like to invite you to be part of this next event. The next On Eagles' Wings evening will be quieter than the last three and will include an extended time for prayers for healing, hence the title "On Healing Wings". It has been our intention to push the boundaries in this series and to make each evening distinctively different from the one before, in this process it has been great to make some new friends and it has been a privilege to have as our guests, Roundabout Releases, probably the oldest Christian sketch drama company in Liverpool and Rachael Wright, an incredibly gifted singer songwriter, once again they shall be joining St Stephen's Church and Jacob's Ladder, a band that has been leading worship, youth, evangelistic events and good old fashioned dance music (ideal for pub and club events) since 1990, in hosting this event.
This is the last OEW of this series, the next series will begin on the 20th November and will go into 2008. We would love to see you on June 12th.
Should you like to book Jacob's Ladder, Roundabout or Rachael Wright for a special event then please feel free to email me and will you let have the contact information.
I also would love to thank Larry and Monica in Canada for the birthday card and the Neil Young CD, that was so kind of you, and we really miss you and, as you pointed out, there are now cheap flights from Liverpool to Hamilton (£99 last time we checked) so we would love to drop in and see you!
Tonight Liverpool play AC Milan in the European Champions League, the toughest trophy in European Football, as Liverpool Fan I will be glued to the screen and my prayers and best wishes go to the team, and may we come back with the Cup for the 6th time! I am so nervous about it...
One of my sons asked me which of the two of them I loved the most, I remember saying that it isn't a question of having a 100% of love and one of you gets 46% and the other 54%, with each new person you get a fresh 100% of love, so I love you 100% son and I love your brother 100% too. One thing I have noticed as I get older is that you make more and more friends and when you love them, not only do they become family but you have a fresh 100% just for them. Getting older means that you get richer ever day, and I'm not talking about money. I value my old friends Rick and Karen and Larry and Monica who are a long way away because their friendship gives me life, life in all its fullness, if that is true of my earthly friends how much so is it in my love of Jesus.
May God bless you all, so watch out for the release of "The Empty Photograph" and "COME ON LIVERPOOL, LET'S MAKE IT 6!"