roblog - a blog by rob harris

Dark Knight Tops One Billion!

2009-02-21T16:48:00.002-06:00

According to Variety, 'The Dark Knight' has become the fourth film to take in more than $1 billion in worldwide box office.

Warner Bros. Pictures made the announcement Friday afternoon, saying that the combined domestic and international gross had totaled $1,001,082,160 to date -- about $533 million domestically and $567 million overseas.

TDK had been about $4 million short of the 10-figure mark when Warner Bros. re-released it into IMAX screens on Jan. 23, the day after its eight Oscar nominations were announced. Grosses from Ecuador also helped nudge the film over the mark, a spokeswoman said.

Only Titanic ($1.842 billion), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.119 billion) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.066 billion) have topped the billion-dollar worldwide mark previously.

TDK is now the second-highest domestic grosser of all time, trailing only Titanic.

Maybe this will help pay for my bailout...

And So It Begins...

2009-01-23T18:05:00.005-06:00

Earlier today, President Obama signed an executive order striking down a rule that prohibits U.S. money from funding international family-planning clinics that promote abortion or provide counseling or referrals about abortion services.*

"Not even waiting a week, the new administration has acted to funnel U.S. tax dollars to abortion providers overseas," Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia, said in a written statement.

I'm not surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. It's a political ping pong match. Reagan started the policy in 1984 to prevent tax dollars from being used in international abortion clinics. Clinton canceled it as one of his first acts as President in 1993. It was reinstated by President Bush in 2001. Now it's Obama's turn.

Whichever party is in power either cancels or reinstates the order, depending on their ideals. That's one of the reasons I'm a huge fan of Reagan and, yes, even a fan of George W. Bush. They upheld the rights of the unborn.

With one stroke of a pen, President Obama ordered the execution of thousands, if not millions, of unborn children. And he's using our tax dollars to fund it.

(*Source: CNN.com)

Mixed Emotions

2009-01-19T16:47:00.035-06:00

Our nation has a new president. To be honest, I still have mixed emotions.

HERE'S WHAT I'M HAPPY ABOUT:

I’m very proud of our country. I’m glad that we, as a nation, have finally moved past the bigotry and injustices suffered by African Americans in the 60’s. That period is a blight, a stain on our heritage. We should be embarrassed by it, thankful it is behind us and determined to never repeat it. Our country has proven that ANYONE can hold the highest office in the land and, therefore, the world. We should be very proud of that.

The fact that I didn't vote for Barack Obama had absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin. Nor did I vote out of some blind allegiance to a particular party. I cast my vote (as I always do) based on character, principle and ideology. He did not receive my vote simply because I have fundamental ideological differences with his views and policies. I would never let something as petty as the color of someone’s skin decide my vote.

No hanging chads. The '08 election was, for the most part, problem free. The nation spoke very clearly. We went to bed that night knowing the outcome. (Heck…most of us knew the outcome before repeats of “Everybody Loves Raymond” came on at 10:00 pm). Nothing like the debacle of 2000. No recounts. No lawsuits. We had a president. (A little aside, here. The electoral vote would lead us to believe that 2/3 of America voted for Obama. Not true. There were 57 million people who voted against him). He may not be the one I wanted but, like it or not, he is now my president. And Scripture says that governing authorities are instituted by God. That doesn't mean God puts them there because they are His favorite or because He approves of their character or behavior. Rather, it means that He allows them to hold positions of leadership for some greater purpose which we may or may not see or even understand.

I will always respect the office of President of the United States even if I do not necessarily respect the individual holding the office. Otherwise, I'd be no different than those who spent the past eight years trashing President Bush.

Finally, I’m thankful many still said 'no' to same-sex marriage. While Obama's victory was a major defeat to conservatism, several faith-backed state initiatives passed, including ballot measures banning same sex-marriage in Florida, Arizona and California. This could nullify the California Supreme Court's decision earlier this year allowing same-sex marriage. In my view, that’s a good thing and a big 'win'. I'm sure my liberal and homosexual friends will disagree. And that's fine. They are welcome to espouse their opinions on their own blogs. But here’s the thing…God, not society, has defined the boundaries of marriage. Marriage was, after all, His idea. It has always been between one man and one woman. Period. It is not a sliding scale subject to the whim of the Hollywood elite or any other special interest group.

HERE’S WHAT I’M CONCERNED ABOUT:

Obama's inexperience. Before hitting the campaign trail, he was an active member of the Senate for roughly six months. (Who becomes CEO after working for a company only six months?) Prior to that, his best resume credit was "community organizer". He's never led a town, never governed a state. Now he is the leader of the free world. Pardon me for being a bit concerned.

He is still a radical extremist. Last February, the whole world learned that Barack Obama had spent twenty years in a racist church where 9/11 was cheered, anti-White racism was spewed and Louis Farrakhan was honored with an award. Obama distanced himself from his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, when the news broke, as if this revelation was a shock to him. Obama said he didn't agree with Wright's views. But, seriously...who in their right mind would attend a church for twenty years while listening to views every week that he disagreed with? Obama was either sleeping in the pew or he stayed because he agreed with the views expressed from the pulpit.

Many of the people who voted for Obama cannot even articulate his policies and views. They say they wanted “change”. Good grief. Everyone wants change for the better. We're going to get change, alright. It's called socialism.

Some Obama supporters apparently feel it's acceptable to break the law while demonstrating their support. Check out the flag in this photo.

The U.S. Flag Code clearly states: §176. Respect for flag. (g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

HERE'S WHAT I EXPECT:

When churches stand on the Word of God and speak out against tough issues, it will soon be regarded as hate speech. Tony Perkins, president of the powerful Washington-based lobbying group, the Family Research Council, predicted dark days ahead for the conservative Christian movement. "We are going to see, I think, unprecedented attacks against our faith through measures like the hate crimes [legislation] to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act," he said. "We're going to see attacks on innocent human life through the Freedom of Choice Act, trying to erase all the gains that have been made in the pro-life movement. And I think even our freedoms are going to come under attack."

Isn't it ironic that our friends on the left who place such a premium on 'tolerance', are tolerant of everything except the Christian world view? They will tolerate any belief, so long as it doesn't disagree with their agenda.

If Mr. Obama continues to deal with our enemies by 'talking' with them, I believe we will experience another major terrorist attack on our soil under his watch. I pray that I'm wrong. Talking to our enemies has NEVER worked. We are dealing with extremists who will settle for nothing less than seeing America and her citizens wiped off the face of the planet. I'm not crazy about war, but policies and issues are moot points if all Americans are dead.

Regardless of your opinion of George Bush or his job as President, there’s one thing NO ONE can deny: There HAS NOT been another terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11. And as country artist, John Rich, told President Bush at a recent event, "The last time I checked, Mr. President...you can't bat better than 1,000!"

Believe it or not, I think history will be kind to George Bush. Look, he hasn't been perfect. Have I agreed with everything Bush did while in office? Nope. (I strongly disagreed with his stance on illegal immigration and how to secure our borders). Did I sometimes shake my head at some of his sound bytes in the media? Yep. Even laughed at them. Has he been our best president? No. But he's far from being our worst. At some point, it became politically correct to bash Bush. He is a good man who loves his country, governed according to his conscience and made decisions that he felt best served the American people. I believe history will prove him to be a better president than many of his detractors give him credit for.

HERE'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO:

I will pray for our new President. Please join me. Whether you agree with him or not, please pray that he looks to God for strength, courage and wisdom. Pray for the safety of the Obama family. And pray for the overall health of our country.

I will give him a chance. I agree with my friend and talk radio host, Michael DelGiorno, who said, “Let’s treat Obama better than the left treated President Bush. For crying out loud, they named sewer plants after Bush. Obama is now the President and that should change how we frame our argument. Let’s hold him accountable.”

I will stay hopeful. The sky is not falling and I'm not bitter. I'm actually hopeful. I hope Obama leads well. I hope our economy turns around soon. I hope there are good days and exciting new chapters ahead for our country. I wish our new President nothing but success. If he is successful, we are successful. Time will tell. Some people have prospered under bad presidents and some have experienced decline under good presidents. I'm going to make my best plans for the future, work as hard as I can to provide for my family and press on. We survived eight years of Clinton. We’ll survive this, too.

Hopefully. Let the rebuilding of conservatism begin.

Psalm 146:3-4 - Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

I'm Bringing Change to Washington!

2008-10-29T17:27:00.001-05:00

Check this out. Type your name into the boxes below and then watch your name appear in this commercial. Very cool!

AARP 08 Video

Dear Mr. Obama

2008-10-20T16:27:00.000-05:00

The Bourne Stupidity

2008-09-12T23:29:00.008-05:00

I may have watched my last Matt Damon film. I wish folks like this would stop espousing their views and exposing their stupidity. I don't care about your political views, Matt. Just shut up, play pretend for a living and provide me a means of escape for a couple of hours. Stick to what you're good at......which, by the way, is NOT political commentary.

Watch this brief video as he rips Sarah Palin.

Sooo....she wouldn't make a good leader because the great Matt Damon doesn't know anything about her? Assuming he's right and McCain doesn't survive his first term, I'd take President Palin over President Obama any day. Seriously...he's citing her "lack of experience in governance?" Let's see....she's been both a mayor and a governor. Matt's candidate has been neither. In fact, Obama was only an active member of the Senate for roughly six months before he hit the campaign trail. If Obama supporters would like to be taken seriously, they should start by arming themselves with the facts and the truth, rather than propaganda and drivel. They have no room to accuse any other candidate of inexperience.

Summer Olympics

2008-08-21T10:02:00.003-05:00

In honor of the summer Olympics, here's a cool video by Paul Hunt. It's not often you see a gymnastic comedy routine.

See The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T01:08:00.003-05:00

Tonight, I saw "The Dark Knight" for the second time in 72 hours. I was in Texas on Friday preaching at an Elders' retreat and saw it for the first time at 10:00 am. Our entire family saw it tonight. It is far and away the best Batman film to date. I'm not generally a fan of Heath Ledger, but I must say...he absolutely owns this movie. His performance is disturbingly fantastic! He will go down as one of the great screen villains of all time.

I loved "Batman Begins" but this movie is better.

A word of warning, though. It is rated PG-13, but I would not recommend it for young children. It has some graphic violence and is intense at times. Christopher Nolan and his brother have written a great screenplay. It's a complex story, well-directed. It is quite a roller coaster ride that throws in a few surprises along the way. Overall, a great popcorn movie. Can't wait for the next one.

I was excited to hear that this film has already set the box office record for an opening weekend gross, surpassing Spiderman-3.

Here's a fun side note: Last summer, I sent some photos to Christian Bale on the set of "DK" and asked for some autographs for our family. A couple of months later, I received everything back signed by Mr. Bale -- while he was filming the Dark Knight!

Sorry it's been a while since I've blogged. It's been busy at the Harris house. We've been painting the interior of our house and Emily and Amanda have resumed cheerleading.

I'd appreciate your prayers. I leave Monday morning to lead worship for two back-to-back weeks of camp.

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T22:39:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Miss you...

What I Wish I Was Doing

2008-06-02T10:32:00.006-05:00

I wish I could have spent time on Thursday in the greeting card aisle at Walgreen's picking out just the right birthday card for my dad. I would have written a nice note and mailed it on Friday along with a gift.

I wish I was making a phone call today to wish my dad a happy birthday and see if he got my package. Even better, I wish I was driving to his house to hug his neck and wish him a happy birthday in person. Above all, I wish I had just one more chance to kiss his cheek, tell him I love him and explain again how grateful I am to be his son.

As you probably know, my dad has been in Heaven since 1995. He was born on this date 78 years ago. Instead of calling him, I'll call my sister and my mom to tell them I love them and that I'm thinking about them today.

I believe I developed my love of country music from my dad. I have fond memories of riding around in his truck with him when I was a boy listening to 8-track tapes of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Don Williams and Tom T. Hall.

My dad taught me my very first guitar chord when I was 12. It was a "G". A small gesture that would literally change the course of my life.

To celebrate his birthday, I'm going to participate in "open mic night" tonight at the world-famous Bluebird cafe, where I'll sing an original country song. He would absolutely love the fact that I now live in Nashville.

Yes, I still miss him. But the Bible says that 'we don't grieve as those who have no hope' (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Because of dad's faith in Jesus, I know that one day I will see my dad again. I will hug his neck again. I will give him another kiss on the cheek and tell him I love him. And I'll have the chance to say one more thing...

"It sure is good to see you again"!

Happy Birthday, Dad. Love you. Miss you. I'll be thinking about you tonight when I play a "G".

This is one of my favorite pictures of my dad

Worst Album Covers...Ever!

2008-05-28T11:12:00.015-05:00

I saw these this morning and laughed out loud. The Chicago Tribune ranked the 50 worst album covers of all time. Here are some of my favorites along with my comments...

I wish my brother, George, was here...

(You mean there was a 'volume 1'?)

sadly, what came next was foster edwards' funeral

after the guitar player mistook him for a mouse and

beat him to death with the les paul.

the drummer was a real ass...

after being excommunicated from the amish order for the use of electric instruments, the 'electric amish' replaced their drummer and released their first protestant album...

wayne was gunned down by the east coast rap mafia.

although this was his one and only release,

this brave pioneer paved the way for Willie Tyler & Lester.

danger, will robinson! danger!

shortly after this underground release, wayne newton

landed a record-setting sansabelt endorsement!

roger saved money by using old mug shots for his album cover

i'd rather not...

looks like someone's trying a little too hard to

convince the world that he truly is heterosexual

the macabre musical of 'freddie the friendly serial killer'

these gals truly can read music...

unfortunately, 'ole slim went bankrupt after unsuccessfully defending
lawsuits from both leo sayer and neal schon of 'journey'

tina turner hair - check; mr. t cross - check; mork from ork suspenders - check; rick james glasses - check; steal name from famous alien - check; grow prince-like mustache - check;

have aunt celia make me some rockin' seashell pants - check!

ah, the good 'ole days. nothing scars quite like

watching the old man play with his organ.

this bought each of these kids an extra five years

on the therapists' couch

the cast of 'a mighty wind'?

and my personal favorite...
(i really had to mullet over)

If you'd like to see all 50, click here.

More Useless Facts

2008-05-26T23:10:00.005-05:00

Here are a few more totally useless factoids...

A ' jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: 'abstemious' and 'facetious.'

If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.

The sentence: 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' uses every letter of the alphabet.

In Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in the late 50's thru early 70's, there was a dentist named 'Dunat Yelle'.

There are 293 different ways to make change for a dollar.

With your hands on your keyboard's home row, the longest word you can type using only your left hand is: "stewardesses". The longest word you can type using only your right hand is "lollipop".

Your thumb is the same length as your nose.

According to Beatles producer George Martin, Neal Hefti's catchy composition of the 1960's "Batman" Emmy-winning theme song inspired George Harrison to write the hit song, "Taxman."

George Washington died the last hour of the last day of the last week of the last month of the last year of the 18th century.

A full moon always rises at sunset.

Bill Gates' first business was Traff-O-Data, a company that created machines which recorded the number of cars passing a given point on a road.

acetwothreefourfivesixseveneightninetenjackqueenking. Excluding the joker, if you add up the letters in all the names of the cards in the deck (Ace, two, three, four,...king), the total number of letters is 52, the same as the number of cards in the deck. Spooky, huh?

At a jet plane's speed of 1,000 km (620mi) per hour, the length of the plane becomes one atom shorter than its original length.

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

The World's Record for the longest Monopoly game ever played was 1,680 hours long. That's 70 straight days!

The longest Monopoly game played in a bathtub was 99 hours long.

Q: What was the occupation of Charlie Brown's father? A: He was a barber.

According to Scientific American magazine: if you live in the northern hemisphere, odds are that every time you fill your lungs with air at least one molecule of that air once passed thru Socrates lungs.

The numbers on opposite sides of a die always add up to 7.

The book of Esther in the Bible is the only book which does not mention the name of God.

During his or her lifetime, the average human will grow 590 miles of hair.

75% of the people who read this will hold their thumb up to their nose to compare the two.

2008 ACM's

2008-05-20T08:43:00.003-05:00

As I watched the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night, I have to admit that I was very disappointed. And I'm a BIG fan of country music. The night had its share of glitches.

For starters...the audio mix was HORRIBLE! I don't know who was mixing it for on-air, but they should have held a production meeting after the broadcast and fired them! During the live songs, you could barely hear the band. And poor 'ole Rodney Atkins sounded terrible. Can't lay that one on the bad mix....he just sounded flat throughout his entire medley. Maybe he was having trouble with his in-ear's.

Garth Brooks had a false start with his song. Reba's decision to join Brooks and Dunn for their song "Put a Girl In It" seemed impromptu. It came off that way, too. Even King George didn't sound that great.

A good friend of mine who works in the country music industry (and by the "industry", I mean "the business") once told me that the ACM's are extremely political. I believe it. Some of the awards were laughable and disappointing.

"Stay" got song of the year? Gimme a break. I mean...on one hand, I admire a song that breaks the traditional rules and becomes a radio hit with absolutely no drums on the track. Props to Sugarland for having a big hit with just an acoustic/vocal performance. That rarely happens. But does the Academy really expect us to believe that "Stay" was a better song than "Don't Blink" (Kenny Chesney) or "Moments" (Emerson Drive)? C'mon!! As a songwriter, I was extremely disappointed. It all seemed very political.

And Miranda Lambert put out the "Album of the Year"? Really? Seriously? Better than Brad Paisley's '5th Gear' and Rodney Atkins', "If You're Going Through Hell"? I'm not even a huge RA fan, but let's face it...his debut record has spawned 4 stinkin' # 1's!

The highlight of the evening for me was when Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood performed the Eddie Arnold classic, "Make the World Go Away". My only complaint was that it was too short. Here it is, in case you missed it.

I'm glad Carrie Underwood got Female Vocalist of the Year. Well-deserved. In the near future, I hope to see Mr. Paisley holding the trophy for Entertainer of the Year.

Fun, Useless Information

2008-05-16T07:47:00.005-05:00

I stumbled upon this stuff today and thought I'd pass it along. Here is some fun, useless knowledge to impress your friends, neighbors and coworkers around the water cooler.

Fun Facts:

Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only... Ladies Forbidden". Thus, the word 'GOLF' entered into the English language.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S.Treasury.

Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work? Alaska.

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness? 28%. (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness? 38%.

The cost of raising a medium size dog to the age of eleven is $6,400.00.

The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour is 61,000. (I thought this would be higher)

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. (I wonder what stupid people have?)

The first novel ever written on a typewriter? Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

Each King in a deck of playing cards represents a great King from history:
Spades = King David
Hearts = King Charlemagne
Clubs = Alexander the Great
Diamonds = Julius Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

It is virtually impossible to lick your own elbow.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th -- John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace.

Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat
name requested?
A. Obsession.

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and
laser printers all have in common?
A. All were invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey.

Q. Which day are there more collect phone calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day.

In Shakespeare's time; mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...
"goodnight, sleep tight."

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "Mind your P's and Q's."

~~~and finally~~~

At least 75% of the people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

Dark Knight Posters from Germany

2008-05-07T02:05:00.004-05:00

Here are a few new posters that have surfaced in Germany.

71 days and counting...

imdb reports that the Heath Ledger Joker action figure sold out within minutes yesterday at the Toys R Us in downtown NYC. They sell for $9.99 and are already going for $55 on eBay.

Playing Saturday, May 10

2008-05-07T01:56:00.001-05:00

I'll be playing in a Writer's Round on Saturday, May 10 @ the Listening Room Cafe in downtown Franklin, TN, with my good friend, Tonja Rose. The show starts at 9:00 pm. Come on out and join us. Reservations are recommended.

New Dark Knight Trailer

2008-05-04T19:04:00.004-05:00

Here's the new trailer for "The Dark Knight". I went to see 'Iron Man' and saw this during the previews. After it was over, I think I peed a little...

The Longest 88 Minutes of My Life

2008-04-29T13:51:00.004-05:00

So I went to see the new Al Pacino movie, "88 Minutes", recently.

In addition to Pacino, it featured Amy Brenneman ("Judging Amy"), William Forsythe, Alicia Whitt, Leelee Sobieski and Neal McDonough. None of them are slouches, but this proves that even great actors can't salvage a 'sucky' script.

Pacino plays a Seattle pyschiatrist who receives a phone call telling him he has only 88 minutes to live. It could have been very effective if they had used a real-time, "24" kind of feel, counting down from "88" from the moment he received the call. For a man with apparently limited time on his hands, Pacino lives with no real sense of urgency after receiving the phone call. The whole thing was poorly written, overacted and slowly paced. Some things just don't add up.

And for the love of Mike, it seemed like half of the film's plot was delivered via cell phone conversations! What the heck did writers do for exposition before cell phones? Oh, I dunno...maybe they wrote credible dialogue for the actors to use while they actually INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER?

This film was easily 88 minutes too long and it was, by far, one of the worst Pacino movies I've ever seen. And I normally love Pacino. But this one stunk! Sorry, Al. It should have gone straight to DVD.

My advice? Stay away. You'll spend 108 minutes of your life and have nothing to show for it.

Injured.....Injured Bad

2008-04-19T16:11:00.001-05:00

This kid makes me laugh. Check out this insurance commercial...

Can You Duet?

2008-04-11T21:45:00.006-05:00

Two of my very good friends, Joey Martin and Rory Lee Feek, will be contestants (if that's the right word) on the new CMT reality show, "Can You Duet"? The show debuts this Monday, April 14, immediately following the 2008 CMT Music Awards. It will then air on Fridays at 8/7c.

They were one of 25 duets who made the show out of the more than 2,500 duets who auditioned.

The show, by the producers of 'American Idol', is designed to find country music's next great duo. Rory is one of the best songwriter's in Nashville (some of his hits include "Some Beach", "The Truth About Men", "Someone You Used to Know", "How Do You Get That Lonely" and "The Chain of Love") and Joey is one of the best country singers you'll ever hear!

I've had the privilege of playing guitar in Joey's band in the past. They have a great marriage, a compelling story and they are flat out some of the finest folks I've ever met. Please watch and cheer them on!

Clink here to watch their audition video.

13 Years in Heaven

2008-04-10T21:49:00.004-05:00

This date always makes me a bit melancholy. Thirteen years ago today, my life changed dramatically when, at the age of 64, my dad traded this temporary 'tent' for his eternal home in heaven. I still miss him every day.

I've met a lot of people in my life who did not enjoy a good relationship with their earthly father. Thankfully, I've never been able to relate to that emotion because I had a very strong relationship with my dad (and my mom). That's not to say that we always saw eye to eye on everything or that I never gave him reason to worry. He was full of love for his family, common sense, country wisdom, laughter, a great provider, a wonderful example, gentle when appropriate, firm when necessary and always quick with a word of encouragement and support. I learned my greatest lessons about unconditional love from my dad. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he was a great man.

It's not overstating it to say he was one of the finest men I've ever known. In addition to being my parent, he was also a close friend. I was proud to have him stand with me as my best man at our wedding. I miss having him to consult when I have a big decision to make. I miss hearing him say, "I love you, son", at the close of every phone call. But I am most sorry that my girls are growing up with no memory of their "Pa Paw". I've assured them they will meet him one day in heaven and they'll have lots to talk about. My, how he loved his grandchildren.

I got my appreciation of country music from my dad. I remember riding around in his truck when I was a boy and listening to 8-track tapes of Don Williams, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. He would absolutely love the fact that we now live in Nashville.

Our twin girls were born roughly one month after dad went to heaven. The joy of their birth was tempered by the reality that he was missing from the celebration. At least I did get to tell him that we were having two more girls before he died. Although confined to a hospital bed and weak following a heart attack, he smiled when I told him.

They say time heals all wounds. I'm not sure about that one. At best, I think time helps you deal with that kind of loss, but I don't think you ever fully get over it....until heaven, that is.

I sure am looking forward to heaven.

Iron Man Trailer

2008-04-09T10:10:00.003-05:00

of course, i can't wait to see 'the dark knight' this summer.....but i'm also excited about seeing this one. 'iron man' opens may 2.

It's Alive!

2008-04-07T08:14:00.004-05:00

My good friend, Matt Sawyer, once told me the key to attracting repeat visits to your blog was to maintain frequent updates. True. Not many people have dropped by lately. Then again, I haven't posted in a while. Maybe that would explain this note I received recently from MY BLOG:

"Rob,
Hey, dude. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that I've missed you. I've noticed you've been spending a LOT more time with your MySpace page than with me. Was it something I did? Something I said? Something I didn't say? Aren't my pictures bright enough? Does my layout not thrill you anymore? Do my fonts bore you? I realize MySpace plays music and I am, afterall, only words on a page, but I can change...literally. I can become anything you want me to me. Just tell me what to do. Please come back".
~roblog

Ouch. Nice to be missed but it all seems a bit schizophrenic. You're right, roblog. I have been away, but I'm back. And I promise to spend more time with you in the weeks ahead...

Bunny Cake

2008-03-29T18:27:00.002-05:00

We obviously know that Easter is all about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, we also have a tradition of making a "bunny cake"...just because it's fun! Here is a photo of this years' cake, made by Lara and all three girls.

MySpace

2008-03-12T09:32:00.002-05:00

i finally got my MySpace music page set up. drop by sometime. you can hear some demo's of some of my songs. here's the link: http://www.myspace.com/robharrisnashville

i've been slowly building a network of "friends". most of them are folks i know or would like to know. except for this one guy named "tom". he keeps sending me a friend request and i don't even know him. apparently, he does that to a lot of folks because i see him on the friend list of other myspacers. :)

Ladies of Idol

2008-02-27T20:29:00.004-06:00

On an up note, I enjoyed hearing two songs by Heart tonight. Overall, I think the men of American Idol are much stronger than the ladies this year. My favorite tonight was the very first one -- Carly Smithson. Based solely on tonight's performance, I wouldn't be surprised if Amanda (the rock and roll nurse) is on her way back to Indiana this time tomorrow night. No one realled "wowed" me tonight.

Here is my opinion of the rest of the Season 7 cast:

Alaina Whitaker - won't make it
Aleandrea Lushington - Top 10
Amanda Overmyer - won't make it
Carly Smithson - right now, my favorite female. Will be in the Top 10.
Brooke White - Top 10
Chikezie - not long for this world
Asia'h Epperson - i hope she makes it to the Top 10
Danny Noriega - please go home
David Archuleta - Definitely Top 10 and may win everything
David Cook - I don't think he's nearly as good as he thinks he is
Jason Yeager - won't make it
Jason Castro - Top 10
David Hernandez - don't care
Joanne Borgella - Top 10
Kady Malloy - Top 10
Ramiele Malubay - Top 10
Kristy Lee Cook - needs to go more country
Luke Menard - a non-entity
Robbie Carrico - I'm not a fan
Syesha Mercado - Top 10
Michael Johns - Top 10. Maybe Top 5. Looks like a cross between Michael Hutchins of INXS and Tim Daly.

Here are my picks for who goes home on Thursday: Amanda Overmyer, Alaina Whitaker, Luke Menard and, if there is any justice in the universe...Danny Noriega.

My Bologna Has a First Name - It's O-S-C-A-R

2008-02-26T13:37:00.021-06:00

first, take a look at this classic commercial from 1973

my wife, lara, loves to watch the academy awards. i usually enjoy watching them, too, but for some reason, i wasn't very enthused about watching them this year. apparently, i wasn't alone. according to the latest nielsen ratings, sunday night's 80th Annual Academy Awards averaged only 29.16 million viewers...the lowest number for the awards since the modern ratings system was launched more than 30 years ago. (by comparison, last year's Oscar ceremonies averaged 40.17 million viewers.)

perhaps more and more folks share my conviction...they love movies but they have a growing disdain for hollywood.

anyway...we did watch this year's show. one of our favorite parts of the Oscar's is always the "in memoriam" segment, where they pay tribute to the actors and other prominent industry professionals who passed away in the last year. while this year's list included 98 movie industry people, bloggers have pointed out that Oscar left out several other noted actors in his list of the departed, including: Roy Scheider, Brad Renfro, Robert Goulet, Merv Griffin, Marcel Marceau, Tom Poston and Charles Nelson Reilly (source: imdb.com). a spokeswoman for the awards said that some actors died "too recently to be included". She added, "unfortunately we cannot include everyone."

let's see...Brad Renfro passed away too soon to be included? He died on january 15, yet Oscar found time to include Heath Ledger, who passed away on january 22. know what i say to that? BOLOGNA! nothing against Heath Ledger, mind you. i just think it's hypocritical to say that one celebrity died "too soon" to be included, then turn around and include another celebrity who died AFTER that celebrity.

but Oscar left at least one other person off his list.

he was veteran character actor, Charles Lane, who died at the age of 102 at his home in July. since Oscar omitted mr. lane from his list, i thought i'd include him on mine. don't remember him? according to the new york times, NO ONE appeared in more movies and mr. lane himself was said to be unsure of the exact total. In 1933 alone, he made 23 films, and from then through 1947 he appeared in at least 200 more. “When I get in the car, turn the switch and start home, I forget all about them,” he told the New York Times in 1947. during his heyday (and Hollywood’s), he would work from 9 to 5 at whatever studio he was booked for (he worked for many, if not all of them), then he would drive home to Pasadena, to his wife and two children.

Charles Gerstle Levison was born Jan. 26, 1905, in San Francisco and and was actually one of the last survivors of that city's famous 1906 earthquake. he changed his name to Lane at his agent's suggestion. he was one of the very first members of the screen actor's guild.

mr. lane’s wife, Ruth, whom he married in 1932, died in 2002. They were married for 70 years! That alone is worthy of a special tribute! You simply don't hear of that very often, ESPECIALLY in hollywood where most marriages are lucky to last 70 days! (Although, granted...not many people live to be 102).

starting in the 1950s, mr. lane also became a familiar presence on television. over the years, he made guest appearances on series like “Perry Mason,” “The Twilight Zone” and “The Munsters.” He had recurring roles on "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Bewitched", "Maverick" and as the penny-pinching railroad executive, Homer Bedloe, on “Petticoat Junction”. he was a frequent guest on “I Love Lucy” and appeared in one of that series’ most-watched episodes, the birth of Little Ricky, in 1953.

still can't picture him? maybe these will help.

Charles Lane around 1947

At age 100

some directors sought him out. he appeared in no fewer than nine films directed by Frank Capra, including "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", “You Can’t Take It With You” (which Mr. Lane said was his favorite role. Incidentally, "You Can't Take It With You" won the Oscar for best motion picture in 1938), and "It's a Wonderful Life" (one of my all-time favorites). It was his character who told Mr. Potter, "one of these days this bright young man is going to be asking George Bailey for a job."

despite his numerous roles, mr. lane never received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. instead of Oscars, golf trophies lined the shelves of his home.

on the occasion of mr. lane's 100th birthday, reporters noticed a framed letter from frank capra, who died in 1991. "I am sure that everyone in the theatrical world has someone that he can lean on and use as a crutch whenever stories and scenes threaten to fall apart," Capra wrote. "Well, Charlie, you've been my number one crutch."

i wrote a letter to mr. lane last year, but i'm sure he didn't frame it. i asked for his autograph on a christmas card from "it's a wonderful life". he was gracious enough to fill my request. here it is.

he also signed another card for our three girls. those momentos are now cherished possessions.

Just before his death he was working on a documentary on his long career entitled "You Know the Face".

appeared in more movies than anyone else? no star on the walk of fame? married to the same woman for 70 years? not one academy award nomination for one of the longest careers in the history of cinema? c'mon, Oscar...you simply "cannot include everyone?"

bologna!

My Wild Oats

2008-02-23T14:34:00.003-06:00

i stopped by Wild Oats marketplace (a natural food store) yesterday to pick up one hard-to-find item. it cracks me up to read the bumper stickers on cars in their parking lot. am i at a grocery store or an al gore rally? either way, i always feel like i don't belong there. i'm there so infrequently, i feel like everyone is looking at me thinking, "just another middle aged guy taking a weak stab at getting healthy". they can sense i'm an outsider because i'm never at any of their meetings. i swear i get a contact buzz every time i set foot in that place. i don't know if it's the "natural" cologne worn by some of the clientele, the aroma of the natural foods or the faint smell of hemp that hangs in the air. maybe it's a combination of all of them. either way, i always leave there feeling a stronger connection to "mother earth" and a bad case of the munchies.

maybe i'll disclose why i went to Wild Oats in a future post.

then i stopped by Sam's to pick up something we needed for dinner. there are two reasons i went to Sam's: 1) they had the exact item we needed, and 2) they are always giving away food samples. scratch that. maybe i should say, they are usually giving away food samples. not today. i walked up and down the aisles of the frozen food section hoping to score a fresh biscuit or some chicken on a toothpick, but i found nothing. no little old ladies manning their convection ovens. i mean, c'mon...if i pay $40 a year to shop there, the least they can do is offer me a free mini egg roll while i shop.

note to self: never visit Sam's immediately after going to Wild Oats. it'll only disappoint.

Update on Phil Eagling

2008-02-20T08:17:00.003-06:00

here's another email we received this morning from Phil's wife, Sharon. keep praying...

"I'd like to thank you all for the emails and the prayers and encouragement. Philip is still in the hospital they finally got him a bed in a ward at 10pm last night [after more than a day in the ER] so he did get some rest. They have basically ruled out a heart problem but are going to do a stress test on him probably tomorrow. He is having problems with his diabetes so they are trying to get it under control with an insulin infusion and then hopefully he can go back onto pills and better control of his diet. I'm still not sure how long he will be in the hospital and he is anxious to come home but I know he needs to get everything under control while he is in there once and for all. Savannah is missing her Dad like crazy, she was already stressing about a lot of things so this hasn't helped her any. We thank you all for your prayers and the outpouring of love you have shown us."

God Bless,

Sharon, Philip and Savannah

American Idol Top 24

2008-02-19T21:25:00.004-06:00

so much for more regular posts. almost eight weeks after it began, i'm still dealing with the residual effects of pneumonia. however, i am MUCH, MUCH better. it's weird, though...out of the blue, i'll have setbacks that last about a day, then they leave as suddenly and quickly as they appeared. i go back to the pulmonologist this friday for a follow up.

we're watching 'american idol' again this season. so far, the men look pretty strong. i wish josiah had made it into the top 24. i felt like he deserved a shot. tonight i liked jason castro, robbie carrico and michael johns. i also liked david archuleta. he's such a likeable guy. i hope danny noriega and McCheesy (chikezie) are the first to go!

please keep my friend, phil eagling (australia), in your prayers. we got word last night that his wife, sharon, had taken him to the hospital because he was having severe chest pains. no update yet but i'll keep you posted.

On the Mend

2008-02-07T22:01:00.000-06:00

i went to a pulmonologist last friday -- one of the best in nashville. he gave me a very thorough exam and said that my condition is pretty common. he sees several people each month with my exact scenario. the pneumonia is gone from my lungs but i still have lingering after-effects (choughing, wheezing) from the damage to my lungs. my "bronchial tree" is still inflamed and very irritated. he said if we didn't treat it, it would eventually clear up on its own but it would take several months to do so. with the proper medication and lots of rest, it should heal much quicker. he put me on advair and albuterol and told me to take a week off from work. i've been on the medicine for five days now and i'm feeling better. although, my cough is back today for no apparent reason. it's a process. he wants to see me again in three weeks.

lara and i saw "the bucket list" recently. very good movie. yes, it's predictable and yes, it's emotional at times, but it's definitely worth seeing. i'll take this kind of movie over most of the junk hollywood cranks out any day. both nicholson and freeman turn in outstanding performances. if you want to see two actors at the top of their game and if you're interested in a moving story that causes you to get very introspective, go see it.

Happy Pneu Year

2008-01-24T13:30:00.001-06:00

2008 has been rough on me so far. i've been sick since just after Christmas. What began as some kind of virus eventually turned into pneumonia. i went to the doctor three times in less than two weeks. i've been through breathing treatments and two rounds of antibiotics and steroids. the doc says it takes 10-14 days to get through pneumonia. i'm on day 25. it's frustrating to say the least. i haven't had a good, solid night's sleep in weeks because i'm either coughing like a 70 year-old three-pack-a-day-smoker, i can't breathe well or i'm waking up soaked in sweat thanks to the 'roids. steriods, that is. not the other kind. (although, i've had my bouts with the other kind and let me tell you, brother......it ain't pleasant. they can make you sweat, too. i know, i know.....too much info.) the steroids also messed up my voice as well as my internal thermostat.

anyway...i'll probably pay my doctor yet a fourth visit today in three weeks. i'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. i want to be able to breathe clearly again. this is actually the third time i've been sick in the last three months. needless to say, i feel pretty run down. ok...enough complaining. (would you like a little cheese with your 'whine', rob?)

i don't even know if anyone still reads this but if you do, i'd appreciate it if you'd toss up a prayer for me.

in addition to being sick, i've already had to make some tough and unpopular decisions this year within the worship ministry at church. i don't mind making tough decisions, particularly when i'm convinced it's the right thing to do and when i feel led by the Lord to do so. still...it isn't easy to make a call that disappoints some people. but i've learned over the years that the easy thing is rarely the right thing. it's all part of leadership.

oh, well. on to other things.

i have big hopes for this year. i didn't make any new year's resolutions, mainly because i know myself well enough to know i won't keep them. however, the beginning of a new year always causes me to get very introspective and evaluate changes i need to make in my life. i want to become the man i once dreamed of being. i've heard the definition of 'insanity' is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. it's that whole, "if you do what you've always done, then you'll be what you've always been" kind of thing. that pretty much sums up where i've been the last few years of my life. so, big changes are in order. actually, i'm already on my way and i'm making some progress, but i'm not prepared yet to open up about them here. i will in due time.

one of my goals is to be more honest and transparent this year. i've always tried to lead an honest life, but i want to be even more so this year. i cannot stomach inauthenticity -- especially in myself. i want to spend some incredible time with my wife and girls, get out of debt, study the bible more and most of all....i want to live a life absorbed in the Way of Christ. you'd think that would come easily for me, being a pastor. quite the opposite. sometimes i get weary of being a 'professional christian'. don't get me wrong...ministry has a great deal of joy but if you're not careful, it can bring seasons of cynicism. i have to constantly remind myself Who i'm doing it for.

i'd also like to write a few great songs this year -- and get a couple of them cut. i try to spend my days off writing songs and in the last couple of years, i've had the privilege of having songs on hold with Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton, Clay Walker, Jamie O'Neal, LoneStar, Randy Travis and VanZant. obviously, none of them ending up getting cut, but maybe that will change this year. i'm just grateful that some major artists have actually listened to some of my songs and liked them enough to throw them in the pile for consideration. i know if God wants it to happen, no one can stop it and if God doesn't want it to happen, nothing I do can force it. so, i'll just keep showing up and trusting Him to do whatever He wants. it's His deal, anyway.

i also plan to post a variety of things in the 'ol blog this year. maybe some articles about worship. maybe my thoughts, observations and ramblings about various topics. perhaps a confession or two. an occasional movie review or book recommendation. just keep checking back. i'll do my best to provide regular posts.

sounds like a resolution to me.

Mystery Angels

2008-01-16T22:15:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday night, January 2, something surprising happened at the Harris house. Lara had taken the girls to youth group at church. I stayed home because I was sick so I laid on the couch and watched 'Law & Order'. Around 9:30 pm, our doorbell rang. At first, I thought it was the girls arriving back home. When they didn't come through the door, I got up to see who it was. Our front porch light was burned out so I couldn't see much of anything. Once my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could tell that no one was there. Weird. (I did hear the doorbell, right?) Then I got a little nervous. I was convinced someone was trying to lure me out of the house so they could jump me. I looked outside again and noticed three bags sitting on the front stoop. I slowly opened the door and looked around. "Hello?" All quiet. "Helllloooo"? Still nothing. I brought the bags into the house and noticed that there was one bag for each of our girls. I knew that because each of the three bags had one of our girls' name on them. (I'm smart that way.)

Anyway...each bag was filled with several gifts. I stepped outside again and said, "If you can hear me...thank you!" No answer. I closed the door but kept looking out the window. I eventually saw a car drive slowly in front of our house then roll to a stop. Then I saw two shadowy figures run from the side of our house and climb into the car. I couldn't determine the make of the car or who the individuals were, but I appreciated the way they cared for our daughters.

When the girls got home, I told them the story and presented them with the bags. They were blown away as they opened gifts from the mall -- makeup, lip gloss, a journal, stationary set, lotion, earrings, perfume, etc. Each of them also received a beautiful blouse from American Eagle. Emily had asked for a very specific blouse from AE for Christmas, but we weren't able to get it. The amazing thing is, the blouse that Emily received in her bag was THE EXACT BLOUSE SHE HAD ASKED FOR! Isn't that cool? She cried very happy tears.

The bags also came with one of the sweetest notes we've ever seen. It encouraged the girls by telling them that God shines brightly through their lives.

Our girls have often tried to figure out who would have done such a wonderful thing for them. We've told them that whoever it was apparently wanted to remain anonymous. To this day, we have absolutely no idea who it was. The girls have chosen to believe it may have been angels.

It is my sincere hope that those mystery angels will read this post and know how much they blessed our girls that night. Or that maybe someone who knows who was responsible will read this and pass along our thanks for loving our sweet girls. They'll never forget it.

Gribble Stix

2008-01-01T22:21:00.000-06:00

If you've read the posts about our recent trip to Australia, then you know that Eddie Gribble, one of the elders at the Thornton Church of Christ, handmade a couple of pairs of custom drumsticks for Jon Fletcher. Eddie also gave me a pair of handmade sticks -- a gift I will always cherish. The Sunday after we returned to the States (December 16), Jon played on the worship team at church. In honor of Eddie, Jon used the sticks Eddie gave him when he played for worship. After using them that day, the sticks were retired, never to be used again. Here's Jon playing with his one-of-a-kind sticks made by our friend in Australia, Eddie Gribble.

Using the hot rods

Batman - DK Theatrical Trailer/Posters

2007-12-18T21:39:00.000-06:00

Check out the newest official trailer for the "The Dark Knight", opening in theaters July 18!

Here are some of the posters that have surfaced so far

(click any image to enlarge)

Farewell, Fogelberg

2007-12-17T00:32:00.000-06:00

Sad to hear that Dan Fogelberg passed away early this morning following a three-year battle with advanced prostate cancer. He was only 56. In case you're not familiar with him, he rose to fame in the late 70's/early 80's and pioneered the "soft rock" genre. One of his biggest hits was the acoustic ballad, "Longer". I was strongly influenced by his music and I sang several of his songs during my coffee house/restaurant singing days in college. "Leader of the Band", "Longer", "Run for the Roses", "There's a Place In the World for a Gambler" and "These Days" were regulars on my set list.

Here's an article reporting his passing

His official website posted this today:

Sunday, December 16

Dear friends,

Dan left us this morning at 6:00am . He fought a brave battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife Jean at his side. His strength, dignity, and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him.

Works of Art

2007-12-13T09:23:00.000-06:00

Phil Eagling has taken up painting as a means of relaxing. His love of barns (especially red ones) is reflected in many of his recent works. I thought you'd enjoy seeing some of his paintings.

If you've read some earlier posts, you already know that Eddie is an incredible craftsman. He made a lot of the furniture in their home. During the open house, I snapped a couple of photos of things he's made. Check these out.
He even made the communion trays for the church. Aren't they beautiful?

Australia Day 12 - Back to the Future

2007-12-12T00:15:00.000-06:00

Up at 6:00 am. After a shower and final packing, everyone met at Phil and Sharon’s by 8:15 am. Ward pulled yet another all-nighter to finish the T-shirts he had designed and made. Here's what they look like. The front pocket area says, "I'm With the Band".

Ross, from the Charles Town church, used his day off to drive us to the airport. Stan drove Phil’s car to help transport the rest of our luggage and Tonja’s new shoe collection.

As we said our good-bye’s, hugs came easily and tears flowed freely. In 11 short days, we had become a close-knit family. We left for the Sydney airport at 9:30 am and arrived around 11:30. Pete gave each of us a handwritten thank-you note he had stayed up until 2:00 am writing. More tears. More hugs.

Chipper reading Pete's note

Sydney Airport

After checking our bags and clearing immigration, we grabbed a bite of lunch. We exchanged the last of our remaining currency and waited at our gate. The flight from Australia to L.A. was just like the first – completely full and shoulder to shoulder. For some reason, the return flight was much harder (physically) on both Lara and me. Maybe because we slept some on the first flight. Lara slept very little coming home, despite having taken two Benadryl. Jon got sick and it took several of the ‘ole technicolor yawns to help him feel better.

We arrived in L.A. at 9:55 am…on the SAME DAY we left Australia. Weird. So this is what Marty McFly felt like. We had to pick up our bags, clear customs, check our bags back in then go through security again. We departed for Dallas at 12:20, arrived 5:30 pm (with the time change). No meal on the flight, so we’re all hungry…except Jon. He’s still weak and has no appetite.

Along the way, several people asked questions about our shirts. Things like, "So, what band are you with"? It gave us a great opportunity to explain what we had been doing.

We think we spotted Howie from the Backstreet Boys. Not 100% sure.

Bad news at Dallas. Our 7:10 flight has been delayed. Now scheduled to leave at 8:20. Wait…delayed again for 8:39. At first, we fear the delay is weather related, which could mean another night in Dallas. Hold the phone…as it turns out, the delay is only the result of our plane being late leaving Phoenix.

8:40 pm. They’ve just informed us that our plane is here but now there is a mechanical problem. They have dispatched a crew to assess the situation and will keep us posted. Jon just ate a soft pretzel and is feeling some better. James, Lara and Donna hit the Starbuck’s for a cup of endurance. Chipper watches Monday Night Football hoping, for the sake of his Fantasy Football Team, that Drew Brees from New Orleans has a great night.

We just heard that our plane has been cleared. There’s an air of excitement among our group. As much as we have enjoyed this trip and our new friends, we are all looking forward to being home with our families. We lift off from the DFW airport at 9:20 pm and the captain says we should arrive in Nashville at 10:55 – exactly two hours behind schedule. We aren’t “wenging” (complaining), though. This is the first delay of any kind we have experienced on this trip. Thankfully, the flight to Nashville is not full so we have room to spread out.

As our plane cuts through the black night sky, I am grateful for so many things…
• For blessings received and blessings given
• For the gift of new friendships that will last into eternity
• For a perfect God who chooses to involve imperfect people to help build His kingdom
• For the joy of worshiping with fellow believers on the other side of the world
• For arriving as strangers and leaving as family
• For everyone who contributed prayers and finances to send us
• For family and friends who cared for our loved ones while we were away
• For safe travel
• For a lifetime of memories
• For a new appreciation for what God is doing in New South Wales through the Thornton Church of Christ.

10:58. We arrive in Nashville, but our luggage does not. The airline says another flight from Dallas is due to land in about 15 minutes. They assure us our bags will be on that flight, so we decide to wait.

All of our bags, with the exception of one of mine, were on the next flight from Dallas. The waiting paid off. One of our Elders, Tim Park, picked us up at the airport in one of our church shuttles. We arrived back at church at 12:30 am, got home by 1:30 and to bed at 3:20 am. It’s been a VERY LONG DAY. All told, we traveled for over 31 hours straight.

American Airlines delivered my bag to our home by 1:00 pm the next day.

Apart from one trip to Mexico with my parents when I was a young boy, this was my first taste of international travel. It was also my first missions trip. I’ve always heard that a missions trip will change your life. It’s true. I believe this one changed every member of our team.

The Eagling's are planning to visit the States again in Dec. '09.

Australia - Our Host Families

2007-12-11T23:55:00.000-06:00

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Clockwise: Donna (center), Janet, Karen, Rebecca

Chipper, Eddie and Moya

L-R: James, Pam, Stan, Jon

Lara and Rob with Phil, Sharon and Savannah Eagling

L-R: John, Kathy, Tonja and Ward

Australia Day 11 - Australiana BBQ

2007-12-09T02:52:00.001-06:00

We led worship during the morning service. The people here have really embraced the Aaron Shust song, “My Savior, My God”. It was one of the songs we used that was new to them. They asked us to use that song at every service we did, except at Gloria Jean’s. Their zeal for that particular song has changed the way we view it. It will be hard to sing that song and NOT think of our Aussie family.

Eddie and Stan praying for Phil before the service

Gathering to pray before the service

Today we sang, “Blessed Be Your Name” (also new to them), “My Savior, My God”, “Joy to the World”, “Take My Life” (“Holiness, holiness is what I long for…”, requested by Phil to go along with the sermon) and “Sanctuary”.

Nigel and Erica surprised Tonja with a pair of shoes she had seen at a store earlier in the week. Tonja had debated between the blue and the black. She bought the black. Erica went to the store first thing Sunday morning and bought the blue pair as a surprise for Tonja.

We each had lunch one final time with our host families today. After lunch, Lara went to the grocery store with Sharon while Phil and I each took a “lie down” (a nap).

Janet took Donna to the beach one more time so she could spend a little more time with the ocean.

The Charles Town church has graciously granted us use of their bus to transport us to the airport on Monday.

Eddie and Moya hosted an open house for everyone today at 3:00 pm. He showed us some of the furniture and other items he made. He is an incredible craftsman.

At 5:30, we all met at the church for an “Australiana Night”. They had a traditional Barbie and put on a talent show for us, featuring:

Australian folks songs
The Traveling Dill-bury's (Phil, Stan, Graham and Eddie)
A slide show with some of our photos and our celebrity look-a-likes. (Ward was Al Borland, I was a tie between the Australian Prime Minister and Drew Carey, Chipper was Mr. Bean, Tonja was Dolly Parton and James and Jon were Jeff Daniels in 'Dumb and Dumber').
They taught Tonja to speak Australian
Chipper won the Australian slang contest
I won the vegemite eating contest! Ward almost spewed...

Chipper, James and Jon in an Aussie Slang contest

The Traveling Dill-bury's

They took turns thanking us for coming and sharing some very sweet words and even some gifts as a token of their thanks. It was unbelievably moving for all of us. Nigel and his family gave us each an Australian calendar. Kathy's dad is an artist so she gave each of us an original picture he either drew or painted. These were very close to her heart, which made them all the more special to us...and very poignant, since her dad recently suffered a stroke.

It's funny...you hope that by going on a trip like this you might be a blessing to someone and then you are the one who ends up being blessed beyond words. So much to write and so little time. We are going home sad because we are leaving family. It's time to pack up and get ready to leave. I'll write more details and post photos after I get home.

Australia Day 10 - Ward Rose Is...MacGyver!

2007-12-09T02:48:00.000-06:00

James, Jon, Phil and I started our day at Gloria Jean’s. Lara, Donna and Tonja spent time with Sharon. Ward pulled an all-nighter with John (Cathy’s husband) at his place of work, trying to make some t-shirts. We met Ward at 11:30 am at an electronics store (very similar to Radio Shack) to purchase some lights for the church. Someone from the Thornton congregation donated $100 and FCC pitched in the rest to purchase five lights for the church. We also purchased a floor wedge so that the worship team will have a monitor.

This afternoon, Lara, Donna, Sharon and Phil put up the Christmas decorations in the church building.

We have burned several “Fletcher” CD’s (with their permission) and handed them out to folks in the congregation who have asked for them. Tonja has given out several of her CD’s as well.

Part of the reason Phil chose to settle in this area was because of over 9,800 people moving into Thornton North (a new estate). It’s the largest growing suburb in New South Wales. Thornton’s population is currently 3,000. In the near future, a shopping center down the street plans to expand to adjoin the church property.

We have another concert tonight at 6:30, so we rehearsed from 4:30-6:00 pm. During rehearsal, the sound system went down. Looks like we blew a fuse, probably due to adding the new monitor to the sound system. No worries, mate…Mr. Clutch (Ward) went out in search of some new fuses.

With God’s help, Ward (and James and Jon) fixed the sound system tonight in a way that would have made a MacGyver proud. Fashioning a new fuse out of only a paper clip and a wad of bubble gum……kidding. Seriously, though…we would have had no sound tonight without Ward’s creative and valiant efforts. We got started a little later than originally planned (began at 7:00 pm), but no one seemed to mind.

After the service, Phil invited everyone back to their house

Australia Day 9 - The Grand 'Ole Opra House

2007-12-09T02:45:00.000-06:00

Alternate title: Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Stan and Pete accompanied us to Sydney for the day. We left at 7:15 am for the two and half hour train ride to Sydney. It was the first time several of us had been ridden on a train. So far on this trip, we have been on planes, trains and automobiles.

Pete prayed for good weather. It has been a rainy week in Sydney. Stan said it would be great if the rain held off until we got back to the train station at the end of the day. Stan and I sat together and talked during the entire trip. He is truly a great man. He has been a Christ-follower for over 30 years.

Saw some amazing sights. The Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Went to Paddy’s Market to buy some souvenirs.

We took LOTS of pictures.

On the trip back to Thornton, we saw another double rainbow. Donna said it was like God had tied this day up in a big bow for us. We also saw some wild kangaroos in the fields from the train on the way home.

I got a little sunburned again today. All together, we spent 6 hours in Sydney. It is a beautiful, beautiful city. We so enjoyed our time with Pete and Stan and we were so grateful for their company. Stan and Pam and driving to Sydney again tomorrow to pick up their son, Chris.

This is probably the most tired we’ve been. The time has absolutely flown by. It’s hard to believe we only have two days left before we leave.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Me with Pete (center) and Stan

These Aborigine dudes cracked me up! Check out
the table on the left. They're selling CD's of their
Didgeridoo music for ten bucks. Everybody's got product
these days.

This group of Asian students asked to take a photo with Jon and James.
We couldn't decide if they just liked their blonde hair or if they thought they were
meeting the Hagger Twins from Hee Haw.
This guy was walking around INSIDE THE MALL at the food court where we ate. No one seemed to mind. He was picking up stray french fries.

At the Sydney train station

Australia Day 8 - Gloria Jean's

2007-12-09T02:13:00.000-06:00

Today is the day we play at Phil’s favorite coffee shop, Gloria Jean’s. He’s a frequent customer there. If he meets with someone from church or the community, chances are he’ll meet them there. It’s his “Cheers”.

Lara and I fixed biscuits, sausage and gravy again for breakfast. The band met at church for rehearsal from 10:00 – 12:30 for tonight. Pete hung out with us during rehearsal.

Lara and Donna helped Sharon fix lunch for everyone. After the entire team had lunch at the Eagling’s, it was back to church for another hour of rehearsal. We really want to be well-prepared for tonight. Phil says that in the five years he’s been here, this is the first time Gloria Jean’s has ever had live music. He prepared fliers to put on all the tables advertising another concert we’ll be doing at the church on Saturday night.

The church was kind enough to let us to take their sound system to Gloria Jean’s so, after rehearsal, we packed everything up and loaded it into Phil and Stan’s cars. By the time we loaded the cars, it was pouring rain. It took two trips to get everything to the coffee shop. Poor Stan was so soaked he had to go home to take a shower and change his shirt.

4:30 pm – Arrival at Gloria Jean’s, set up and sound check. Ward did an amazing job of putting the sound system together and mixing everything. Since it’s a coffee shop, we wanted to make sure that people could still have a conversation and that the customers could still hear the barista’s call out their orders. Ward kept our volume in check. We played for an hour – a mix of Christmas songs, some classic country songs and a few originals. Phil Eagling sang two songs with us – “O, Come Let Us Adore Him” and “Silent Night”. He did an awesome job!

Here’s the set list from tonight:

Jingle Bells
Joy to the World
Angels We Have Heard On High
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
It Wasn’t His Child - Tonja
Baby, I Was Wrong - Tonja
Grandpa - Tonja
Christmas Eve – Rob
Angels From the Realms of Glory
The Bicycle - Tonja
I’m Not the Only One - Rob
Rudoph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Deck the Halls (Instrumental)
Away In a Manger
O, Holy Night
O, Come Let Us Adore Him – PHIL
Silent Night – PHIL

Most of the church members turned out for tonight’s event. They have been incredibly supportive. After we played, Gloria Jean’s gave us an drink or coffee we wanted on the house! James and Jon especially appreciated that!

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will head into Sydney for the day.

Here’s a random observation: Instead of mayonnaise or mustard, most folks here put butter or margarine on their sandwiches.

We have discovered one of Chipper’s hidden talents: he does one killer…and I mean killer Hank Hill impersonation. He uses it sparingly because he says he likes to delver quality material. But when he does, it wipes me out!

The band's view in Gloria Jean's

Australia Day 7 - Ladies' Day Out

2007-12-09T02:11:00.000-06:00

Lara and I had crumpets with golden syrup for breakfast.

Ward and I helped Phil shop for some lights for the church. No luck yet. James gave Pete (their worship leader) some guitar lessons and taught him some new guitar licks.

The ladies are spending the day together. The men are doing the same.

Tonight, I preached on worship to the congregation and conducted a worship seminar for their worship team. Lara and Donna ran Easy Worship.

Another great day with our host families. Both Stan and Cathy have taken most of this week off from work to spend time with us during our visit. Pete delayed looking for a summer job partly so he could spend more time with us, too.

There is a playground and basketball court directly behind the church. It’s not uncommon to hear teenagers out there at night breaking glass bottles on the asphalt. Boredom, I suppose. That also happens in front of Phil and Sharon’s house, across the street in the parking lot of the train station. Phil has a goal of sponsoring a skateboard contest for the local youth.

Where James and Jon Fletcher would live...

Where I would live...

Australia Day 6 - 'Roo Poo

2007-12-04T22:55:00.000-06:00

One of the things Phil misses most about the States is having biscuits and gravy…especially from Cracker Barrel. This morning, Lara and I got up early and cooked breakfast – an authentic southern dose of sausage gravy and biscuits. Now, biscuits here refer to “cookies”. There are no frozen or canned biscuits here and no Bisquick in the stores. Sharon found an easy biscuit recipe so Lara made some easy drop biscuits and I made sausage gravy. There is no American pork sausage here, so we bought some pork mince and added salt, pepper and sage. We tried to reproduce a good ‘ole southern breakfast as best we could with the ingredients we had available. It wasn't Cracker Barrel but Phil said he really enjoyed it.

We talked Phil into staying home and getting some rest today. His back is still giving him trouble from the accident in July and this morning he woke up with a sore throat.

We met at the church at 9:00 am. Ward let us use his Vonage on his computer to call home. We got to talk to our girls for the first time since we left. Actually, we only got to talk to Bailey. We miss them so much. We also talked to Lara's mom and dad.

Our hosts then took us to Oakvale Farm and Fauna where we saw lots of native Australian animals. The highlight was getting up close and personal with the koalas and the kangaroos. We bought some feed bags and the kangaroos ate right out of our hand! Ward said he got some kangaroo poo on his shirt. We didn’t get to feed or hold the koala’s, but we did get to pet them. The park only allows that twice a day and we were grateful to be there during one of those times.

Click to watch Lara feeding a kangaroo

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Tonja demonstrating the "Aussie Salute" (shooing away flies)

See the Joey in the pouch?
Fletcher: (L-R) Jon, Mitchell, James

Sniff, Sniff

(L-R) Stan, Kathy, Pete, Graham

Ward petting a koala

A peacock. Before...

...After

A turkey

A wallaby

An Emu

A Red Deer

A Dingo

A 6-Foot Bat

After leaving the park, we drove by some sand dunes where part of “Mad Max” was filmed.

They took us Lexi’s on the beach for lunch. Afterwards, we walked on the beach for a while and Chipper and I tried our hand at playing Cricket (similar to our baseball).

Janet said the water always reminds her of God’s love…so massive…always moving and flowing…sometimes it can get angry, but it always settles down. I thought that was an insightful observation.

Donna was blissfully happy. Her two favorite places are the ocean and Australia. Here she is enjoying both.

Ward and Tonja walking hand in hand on the beach

Jon and James walking hand in hand on the beach.
(OK, maybe not hand in hand...)

I drove again today. I’m getting very comfortable with it now.

Tonight Janet hosted a barbeque for us. She has lived in Newcastle all of her life. Most of the members of the church attended. We had sausages, salad, steamed veggies, lamb chop and steak. They are feeding us like royalty. Stan keeps us laughing. He’s always quick with a joke or a pun. (He and Joe Progar would get along swimmingly.) James and Jon are staying with Stan and Jon is picking up Stan’s joke habit. Tonja also entertained everyone with some of her classic jokes. Everyone here absolutely loves her laugh! It was another great night of fellowship. Stan told me how grateful he was for FCC’s support of Phil and Sharon because, by supporting them, we were really blessing their church. We had a good talk about church leadership.

Eddie (left) and Stan -- both are Elders

L-R: Chipper, Graham, Phil, Ward

During the BBQ,a beautiful double rainbow appeared.

We absolutely love they way people talk here. They have such a beautiful lilt and soothing cadence to their voice. It is both relaxed and sophisticated. They rarely pronounce “r’s” at the end of their words. Their accent is very lyrical -- almost musical. We especially love the way they pronounce Chipper's name. Down here, he's "Chippa". They way they say his name is much cooler than the way we do.

We are watching remarkably little television and, with the exception of James and Jon who have a World Phone, none of us have been able to use our cell phones since we left Los Angeles. I must admit, I’m enjoying the break from being tethered to either of those devices. Cell phones are not as prevalent here. Some people do have them but they don’t use them nearly as frequently as Americans do. It is illegal to drive here while talking on your cell phone. I wish that were true in our country.

Australia Day 5 - Tonja "Quidley Down Under"

2007-12-04T22:47:00.000-06:00

Laundry day. Lara and Donna stayed at Phil and Sharon’s to do laundry, while Phil, Ward, Chipper, Jon, James and me went to the church. Let’s see…who’s missing from the group? Oh yeah…Tonja…or, “Quidley Down Under”, as we call her. (Quidley is her maiden name). She is staying with a family whose daughter is a beautician, so “Princess” went to get her hair colored and cut this morning. We all playfully gave her a hard time. Actually, the daughter is the one who offered.

Chipper and I conducted a training session this morning to teach Sharon Eagling and Pam Wright how to use Easy Worship. They are thrilled to have this program!

After lunch at a local seafood place, Phil and Stan (one of the elders) took us to a music store. Let me digress for a moment. Back at the seafood restaurant, one of the employees told us how much she loved our accents. That’s a first for me. No one has ever told me they liked my accent.

At the music store, we bought some new music stands and a guitar stand for the church. The Thornton church also bought some new drum heads for their kit. The clerk at the music store asked us where we were from. I told him Nashville, TN. He asked, “What’s the name of your group?” I told him we were a Flock of Seagulls tribute band but I don’t think he bought it. Kidding. Actually, we told him we were a worship band here to visit the Thornton Church of Christ for a couple of weeks. He thought that was cool. He was extremely kind to us and he offered to let me play a $6,500 Maton guitar. (Maton’s are incredible guitars – sort of the Taylor’s of Australia – played by one of my favorites, Tommy Emmanuel). Instead, I bought a $10 Maton cup holder. Probably not the kind of commission my sales guy was hoping for.

As we looked around, we found the exact same guitars in the store that we brought with us. We were so glad we bought them at home because the prices here were over double what we paid in Nashville. We paid around $500 for each instrument and the same instruments here were each over $1,000. We went back to the church and Jon changed the drum heads and tuned up the kit. I did some more work on their Easy Worship program. Jon, James, Chipper and Phil had fun playing music. Afterwards, I walked to the Eagling’s home with James and Jon. Along the way, they told me they are feeling back to normal. Jet lag is over for them. Still no change for me. It was sunny for most of the day, but a late afternoon storm came in and cooled everything down by fifteen degrees.

Kathy brought over one of the snakes her husband used to breed. It was a beautiful corn python.

Eddie, an elder here, is one of the sweetest guys you’ll ever meet. He’s near 70 and is an amazing wood worker. He makes all of the drumsticks for the church. He says he can make them cheaper than they can buy them. He’s going to make a set of sticks for Jon out of Tazmanian Oak. We each had dinner with our host families tonight. Lara, Donna and I ate with Phil and Sharon. Sharon made Corned Beef (cooked all day in the crock pot), pumpkin smashed potatoes, steamed veggies and cheese sauce. Everything was terrific! I’m looking forward to a left over Corned Beef sandwich. After dinner, we sat in the Eagling’s living room and talked and laughed for over an hour. Phil Eagling is in a lot of pain tonight. His back is still really bothering him from the accident back in July.

Australia Day 4 - "It's Like a Drug..."

2007-12-04T22:41:00.000-06:00

We helped with Sunday morning worship. We led two songs, then sang two songs. We shared, “My Savior, My God” and Tonja sang “It Wasn’t His Child”. It was a sweet time of fellowship and worship. Such authenticity among the people here. There were 29 people in attendance, which includes the eight of us. Phil began a Christmas sermon series with a message entitled, “The Signs of Christmas”. Afterwards, we all went to Macca’s (McDonald’s) for lunch.

At this point, we have literally met everyone member of the church and I can honestly say that I love them all.

I drove again today. So far, I have a spotless driving record in the land of OZ (what the natives call Australia).

Chipper, Ward and I went back to the church after lunch to load the Easy Worship software on the church computer. The church is using Windows XP, so the software loaded easily. They were thrilled to have the new technology. The worship team rehearsed from 4:30-6:30 pm and the service started at 7:00 pm. We did a “concert”, very similar to our “Encounter’s”. Several people from the church at Charles Town came to worship with us. Lara and Donna ran the Easy Worship software for the service. Afterwards, everyone just hung out at the church and visited with one another. Phil Eagling was so encouraged to see that. Pete, Thornton’s Worship Leader, commented, “This fellowship is so sweet. I don’t want to leave. It’s like a drug”.

We stayed at church for an hour after the service, then went back to Phil and Sharon’s for Tea (the evening meal, which was much later than usual tonight due to the service). Lara and I stayed up and talked to Phil and Sharon for another hour. Christmas is a very special time for Phil. Their house is beautifully decorated for the season.

With the exception of a few homes that have exterior Christmas lights, folks here don’t seem to decorate the outside of their homes as much as Americans do. But then again, it may be a bit early for that.

James and Jon went to a local mall for their Starbuck’s fix. Kathy and Jon showed us the exotic birds he breeds. They were beautiful! Some were pale green, lavender, bright yellow, orange, etc. John also used to breed reptiles. While I was there, Kathy showed me the funnel web spider they had fished out of their pool. Then she said, “There’s probably a red back (another dangerous spider) over here by the trash cans. Let’s see if we can find one.” Then she spots a web and begins poking around it with a stick! I felt like Marlon Perkins on the old show, "Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom". “I’ll stay over here out of the way while Jim irritates the deadly spider…”

God had mercy on me. We didn’t find one.

Australia Day 3 - Cold Beer, Anyone?

2007-12-04T22:31:00.000-06:00

I thought that might get your attention. I’ll explain in a minute. I had Vegemite today for the first time. I spread a very thin layer on toast for breakfast. Not bad. Just don’t smell it before you eat it. It smells like axle grease. I’ve been curious what it tasted like ever since I first heard the Men at Work song, “Down Under” back in the 80’s.

At 10:00 am, Phil took us all to Gloria Jean’s – the Coffee Shop where we’ll be playing next Thursday – to meet the owners and talk about the event. It is located in a shopping mall that is very similar to an American mall. In fact, if you were blindfolded and dropped inside this mall, you’d probably think you were in America. Except for the prices. I continue to be amazed at how expensive things are here.
• At a record store, a typical CD costs around $26.
• A 12-month calendar costs $25 dollars (US price: $12.99).
• 24-pack of Coke: $16.99; 24-pack of water: $9.00 (on sale)
• Petrol (gas) is $1.45 per liter. There are 4 liters per gallon, making gas nearly $6.00 per gallon.
• (1) 3 Musketeer candy bar: $3.00

Today is rehearsal day. After a good day of rest, it’s time to get busy with the business of music and worship. During the drive to the church this morning, I told Phil that the instruments we brought with us were purchased specifically to give to the Thornton Church. He and the members of the worship team were extremely grateful. Grateful to the point of tears. Donna and Lara went with a few ladies from the church to visit the town of Morpeth, the Port that started New Castle. We are sharing two “items” (special songs) in tomorrow’s worship service. After we all had lunch at Phil and Sharon’s, we headed to the church building to rehearse and prepare for tomorrow’s worship service. As we rehearsed, Phil poured each of us an ice cold, refreshing beer. Calm down……Ginger Beer is a soft drink that tastes like a peach flavored Ginger Ale (not that I’ve ever had Peach Ginger Ale, but that’s what Ginger Beer tasted like to me.)

We will also be doing an evening of worship Sunday night at the church, similar to our “Encounter’s” at FCC. Most of the songs that are very familiar to us will be brand new to the folks at Thornton, so tomorrow night may be more like a concert. During the performances of the play, the church has bought cold soft drinks and water to those in attendance. Tonight (the last night of the play), Franklin Christian Church is providing the soft drinks at no cost to them, just to try and bless them a little bit.

The flies here are relentless. I’ve never seen so many. In fact, they call the act of shooing flies away from your face the “Australian wave”.

While at Janet's house this evening, we saw a kookaburra bird. I couldn't get that annoying Barney song out of my head...

I haven’t seen many headlines here, but I was sad to learn that one of my childhood heroes, Evel Knievel, passed away recently. I had read that he became a Christian before he died.

Just a few random observations:
• Everyone here drives on the wrong side of the road!! (Well, it’s only wrong if you’re used to driving in the U.S.)
• The restrooms here are referred to as “toilets”. Even the public signs say so.
• The Yield signs on the highway say, “Give Way”. I like that.
• When kids back talk their parents, it’s called “back chat”
• They don’t have many Mexican restaurants here. Sharon misses them.
• The cost of living is much higher here.
• At the grocery store, the cart return is called the “trolley return”
• Chinese take out is called Chinese “take away”
• Any sandwich is called a burger. A fish sandwich is a fish burger. A chicken sandwich is called a chicken burger.
• Tax is already included in the price of everything. When you see a price tag, that’s exactly what you pay for an item.
• It’s unusual to see Christmas trees up in homes during summer weather. This must be what Christmas is like in southern California.
• There are no pennies in Australian currency. Chipper loves that!
• To conserve energy, everyone here unplugs most appliances when not in use.
• There is no tipping here. You only tip your server or waitress if you get really, really, really outstanding service.
• The toilets here have two buttons for two flushing options. I’ll try to be delicate, here. If it’s a mild visit to the toilet, you give it a half flush. If it involves paper work, you give it the “full flush”.
• Several of the folks I’ve talked to are very discouraged about the recent election here in Australia. The Labor Party (equivalent of the Democrats in the U.S.) were voted into power. The last time that happened, home mortgages here soared to…(are you ready for this?)…17-20%! The “liberals” here are what we would consider conservatives in the States; the “conservatives” here are what we would consider “liberals”.

I drove in Australia for the first time today. Phil asked me to drive his car to his house from the church (a whopping total of four blocks). I was nervous and I had the added stress of having Lara, Donna, Ward and Tonja in the car with me. Obviously, driving on the opposite side of the road was completely foreign to me. Every time I went for my turn signal, I turned on the windshield wipers. Everyone else in the car got a big kick out it. Ward laughed so hard, I’m pretty sure he…well, let’s just say he would have benefited from wearing some Depends.

One final note. As you may already know, spiders are not my favorite thing (see my 100 things post). Noah could just as well left them off the ark, if you ask me. But I suppose God has His reasons. Anyway…I was a bit nervous about the spiders they have here in Australia – particularly the ones that can kill you….specifically, the Funnel Web spider. The Funnel Web is common in eastern Australia (where we’re staying) and more venomous than the Brown Recluse spider we have in Tennessee. A bite from a funnel web can cause serious illness and even death, if no anti-venom is available. Bites are most prevalent during summer. (I watch way too many animal documentaries on Animal Planet.) It is now the beginning of summer in Australia. Accidental encounters usually occur with male funnel webs in ground-level dwellings on concrete slabs. Did I mention that Phil and Sharon’s home is situated on ground level surrounded by concrete slabs?

Anyway…enough background. As mentioned earlier, Ward and Tonja are staying with Cathy and John, next door to us. Cathy and John have a swimming pool. When we arrived for rehearsal, Ward and Tonja said…”Rob, guess what John found in his pool yesterday? A funnel web spider!” My teeth went numb at the news. Just knowing those evil blood suckers are lurking just a few feet from my bedroom makes me unsteady. Sleep will not come easy tonight. Pray for me…

Australia Day 2 - "And the Award Goes to...Chipper Farley!"

2007-12-04T22:16:00.000-06:00

Phil deliberately planned today to be very low key, to give our bodies a chance to acclimate to our new time zone. We went to New Castle to see a bit of the town.

After lunch at a food court with Phil and Sharon, Pete and Cathy (members of the worship team), we walked across the street to see the harbor. It rained this afternoon. Phil took us to one of his favorite coffee shops --Gloria Jean’s (sort of the Starbuck’s of Australia). Lara and I bought a couple of Australia Christmas ornaments from a department store to take home.

Still no noticeable effects of jet lag on me. I feel pretty much like normal. Chipper does too. James and Jon are tired. So are Lara and Donna.

Tonight, we attended the play presented by the church. It was an original musical written, produced and directed by Phil Barker, a member of the church. Practically every member of the church was involved in some way. It was so encouraging to see the church pull together for a common cause. In a church this size (35-40 people), there is no room for pew sitters. Everyone has to pitch in. It was well attended and everyone had a great time.

One of the actors was sick, so Chipper agreed to fill in as “Vladimir”. He had a small part and actually sang a song as part of a male trio. He did a great job! Unfortunately, none of us had a camera with us because we were planning on taking photos the next night, so we don't have a photo of Chipper. The need for Chipper to fill in popped up at the last minute.

After the play, Janet, took us for a spin to see some “Crissey lights”.

We’re learning lots of new phrases.

Most of Australia is experiencing a record drought. Every place, that is, except for Newcastle. They have have plenty of rainfall and have experienced no water shortages whatsoever.

There are some really good things happening here:

The people are very friendly
Their approach is not an “in your face” kind of an approach. They prefer to employ a more personal, one-on-one approach by building relationships with people.
Pete, the worship leader, is a great guy with a very teachable spirit.
They make the most of what they have.
They work together.
The people are very sincere.

Australia Day 1 - 10,000 Miles

2007-12-04T22:01:00.000-06:00

It’s our first day in Australia -- the land that gave us Mel Gibson, AC/DC, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Olivia Newton-John, and, of course, The Wiggles. We were scheduled to arrive in Sydney at 8:00 am local time but, due to heavy air traffic, we had to circle above the airport and we touched down at 8:30 am to sunny skies and 80 degree weather. After we went through customs and exchanged our currency at the airport, James and Jon added minutes to their world phone so they could keep in touch with their families. We were greeted by Stan and Pam Wright, Phil Barker and his sons, Isaac and Jacob, and Pete, the worship leader...all members of the church. They explained that Phil Eagling could not pick us up because just the night before, he had to take his wife, Sharon, to the hospital. She had damaged her shoulder when opening a door at their house. Just one of those freak household accidents. She spent most of the night at the emergency room, but they didn’t keep her overnight. She has some muscular damage in her shoulder and her right arm is in a sling.

We began the two hour drive north and arrived in New Castle around 12:00 noon. Our first stop was Phil and Sharon’s home, where we all gathered and began our visit with a time of prayer. We had traveled over 10,000 miles in 20 hours. Even though some of us were sleepy, they recommended that we not sleep until that evening. So…James and Jon took a two hour nap! I have experienced very little jet lag. Maybe I’m just energized by finally being here. Phil says it may catch up with me on the return trip home. Phil and Sharon were grateful for the supplies we brought…especially the Tylenol PM. The Australian government won’t allow anything with a sleep aid in it to be sold here. Yet, you can pack it in a bag and declare it at customs. Go figure. They have socialized medicine here and sometimes, it can take months for them to have what would be an ordinary and common procedure in the United States. They like to have Tylenol PM on hand for those occasions when they need help managing pain until the doctor can perform the needed procedure.

The photo to the right is Phil and Sharon's house.

The people of the church are unbelievably kind and very gracious hosts.
• Lara and I are staying with Phil and Sharon
• James and Jon are staying with Stan Wright (an elder) and his wife, Pam. Stan was born in England and he used to serve in the Australian army.
• Ward and Tonja are staying with Kathy and John (next door to us)
• Donna is staying with Janet and her daughters, Karen and Rebecca
• Chipper is staying with Eddie (another elder) and his wife, Moya. Eddie has been in this area since the mid-70’s and he's been an elder here for a long time. He’s a great wood worker and he's done a lot of work on the church.He built the stage, their sound room and a storage room.

We’ve already met several members of the church and the worship team, including:
• Pete – the volunteer worship leader. A great guy in his mid-20's. Pete has done this for over three years.
• Mitchell – Bass player
• Mitch – drummer
• Phil Barker and his sons, Isaac and Jacob. Phil drove us from the airport. He wrote and produced the original play the church is doing.
• Graham and his three children, James, Tiffany and Tameira. They actually lived in Franklin for part of last year and attended FCC while they were there.

They had an authentic Australian dinner tonight to welcome us. Meat pie (with tomato sauce), sausage rolls, salad, vanilla slice, slice, lamington and custard tart. Water and various soft drinks. After dinner, Phil asked us to do a couple of songs. None of us had brought our instruments with us to the church (because it wasn’t part of the original plan), so we went to our host homes to get them. Once back at the church, we then had to tune them from the ground up (still completely de-tuned from the flight). We shared 2 songs: “Lord, I Lift Your Name On High” and “Here I Am to Worship”.

Everyone on the team is extremely tired. Right now, it’s 4:00 am our time back at home as I write this. The church is decorated for the play. They have so little, yet they have done so much.

This has been a tough year for Phil on a personal level. He may not want us to come back. j/k. Every time we schedule something, someone in his family gets hurt. Back in July, he was in an accident that required we reschedule our trip. And now...just the night before we arrive, Sharon sustained the injury to her right shoulder. Overall, Phil said they have enjoyed more blessing that heartache. What an amazing outlook!

Savannah is learning to play the guitar. Her guitar instructor comes to their house once a week for lessons. Like most American children her age, she enjoys watching Disney Channel – especially Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zach and Cody and Kim Possible.

I'm a goober. I put together an entire file for Tim Park that I was supposed to leave on my desk for him. It contained all of our emergency contact information. Like a doofus, I ended up bringing it with me. Thankfully, I had a copy of it on my computer so I emailed the info to him tonight.

so, what the heck do you do all day?

2007-11-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

i'm asked this question (or some form of it) on a semi-regular basis. when people ask that, what they're really wondering is..."afterall, how long can it take to pick out a few songs"? ouch. actually, it would only take a few short minutes to string together a few random songs. thankfully, that's not what I do. sure, selecting music is certainly part of my job responsibilities, but there is much more to my day.

let's see....over the years, i've acquired some mad computer golf skills....i've learned to nap sitting up.... i surf the net....stay caught up on episodes of 'the office' on nbc.com....

kidding. in reality, my day is no different than most other pastors. let's expand it to a typical work week. granted, there is an "ebb and flow" to my ministry, with some seasons being busier than others, but during an average week, I...

pray over and plan the next few weeks of services (lots of details here alone)
look through hundreds (often literally thousands) of songs
listen for new worship songs
read, study, pray
stay caught up on email
communicate with this weekend's team
put together the 'tech sheet' for the service (lots of details here, too)
chart new songs as needed
put together the charts the band will need for the weekend service
prepare for sunday morning's rehearsal
visit and pray with folks in the hospital
attend meeting(s)
deal with administrative issues
shepherd members of the worship ministry
practice guitar
allow for unexpected "interruptions" to my day
do my best to meet the needs of the people God puts in my path
identify and audition potential new members of the worship team

to name a few. as you can see, i have no trouble staying busy.

100 things about me

2007-10-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

from the "too much information" department...

i got this idea from the blog of my friend, jon schneck. i thought it might be a daring way to open the world of blogging for me. i found it to be a fun and even therapeutic exercise. it was a nice challenge and it didn't take as long as you might think. i encourage you to compile one of these lists for yourself. as i dip my toe into the water of blogdom, here are...

100 things about myself

1. One of my childhood heroes was Evel Knievel. (Sad to hear he passed away recently)
2. Another one was John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics.
3. As a kid, I was fascinated with magic. I thought I was king when my mom ordered Marshall Brodiene’s “TV Magic Cards”. I was thrilled when I got his “Magic Kit” for Christmas. It contained several beginner magic tricks to amaze and astound your friends. I did neither.
4. My first dreams: To compete in the Olympics and play in the NBA.
5. I didn’t date much in high school.
6. I wish I read the Bible more often than I do.
7. I’ve been a fan of all things Batman since I was a boy.
8. My favorite Saturday kids show was “The Shazam/Isis Hour”.
9. Autumn is my favorite time of year.
10. I once had a ventriloquist doll named “Danny O’Day”.
11. The first “special” I performed in church was a banjo solo. Yes, you read that correctly. Banjo. I was 9 years old.
12. I grew up in a small, coal-mining community in southern West Virginia.
13. There were 79 people in my graduating class.
14. I LOVE to fish.
15. I enjoyed hunting when I was growing up. I don’t do it anymore.
16. My first favorite rock band: KISS. I once actually met KISS without their makeup. That was, obviously, back when they wore makeup and would not allow themselves to be photographed without it. It was a big deal at the time.
17. My mom took me and a few of my friends to my first KISS concert in Huntington, WV.
18. The only other person I’ve seen in concert more than KISS is Ted Nugent.
19. I loved heavy metal in high school.
20. My wife is the most wonderful woman I've ever met.
21. My first acoustic guitar was a blue Ovation, which I later sold to Mark Stuart of Audio Adrenaline.
22. I love going to Dollar General Store.
23. My favorite shows are Law & Order and Monk.
24. I’ve collected autographs since high school. I have around 1,800 (meager by autograph collecting standards).
25. I started playing guitar in 8th grade. My dad taught me my first chords. I started practicing a lot when I was out of school for several weeks nursing a broken ankle (which ended my basketball season).
26. I have avoidance issues.
27. I'd like to visit Alaska. Maybe go on an Alaskan cruise.
28. I have been bitten by a snake.
29. I have had seven different surgeries (eye, tonsils, left ankle, 2 on left hip and 2 hernias). I still have part of a steel pin in my left hip.
30. When I was a boy, I had a pet skunk (de-scented and ordered from an exotic pet store in North Carolina).
31. I’m afraid of spiders. (And yet I’m a Spider-man fan. Go figure.)
32. I love the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption”.
33. At times, I have been guilty of being a full-time pastor and a part-time follower of Christ. That makes me feel ashamed.
34. I’m not a fan of Jay Leno. I think he’s a terrible interviewer and he always tries to “one up” his guests. Conan rules!
35. My favorite worship band: the David Crowder* Band.
36. One of my big pet peeves: men who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom.
37. I worry a lot about finances.
38. I live with a good amount of regret. There are a lot of things I wish I could do over.
39. I played little league baseball for one season.
40. My first job was working as a disc jockey at a radio station. I loved it and went on to major in Broadcasting in college. I worked as a radio DJ for six years. My first radio job in college involved running “Casey Kasem’s American Top 40” and doing the weather twice an hour.
41. I want to write a song that gets used in a movie.
42. My favorite Christopher Guest movie is “Waiting for Guffman”.
43. I love roller coasters.
44. I hate to say “goodbye”. Always have.
45. My favorite cereal is Cap’n Crunch.
46. I love the cheese sticks at Sonic. Ahh….fried cheese. Does it get any better than that? I submit that it does not.
47. I dunk my Oreo’s two at a time.
48. I’m a great starter, but a lousy finisher.
49. I would one day like to serve as an elder at a church.
50. My dream acoustic guitar: A custom-made Genesis by Tom Bills (a custom guitar maker in St. Louis). Unfortunately, it will remain a dream because they start at $10,000. I played one once while it St. Louis and it was so good it made me cry. Literally.
51. I’m afraid of open heights.
52. My favorite breakfast food? Biscuits and gravy. Hands down.
53. I am frustrated by my own inconsistency.
54. My favorite female country artist is Trisha Yearwood. My favorite male country artist is Brad Paisley.
55. My first car was a ‘Vette. A brown, 4-door, hatchback 1980 Chevy Chevette.
56. One of my favorite finger-style guitarists is Tommy Emmanuel.
57. My favorite vacation spot is the beach. For me to stay sane, I NEED to get to a beach at least every eighteen months.
58. I absolutely love going to movies with my family. The popcorn, the overpriced snacks, the sticky floors – I love the whole experience.
59. I hate it when people scrape their forks on their teeth when they eat. It also bugs me when people chew with their mouth open.
61. My dad died of a heart attack in 1995 at the age of 64. I miss him every day.
62. I think I wrestle with mild bouts of depression.
63. I wish I had more self-discipline.
64. My favorite restaurant is Buca di Beppo. Their chicken marsala is the best I’ve ever tasted.
65. I suffer from practical atheism. I believe God exists, but sometimes I live as if He doesn’t.
66. I like capes. It just dawned on me one day. Many of the people I admired growing up – magicians, Elvis, Gene Simmons of KISS, Batman, Evel Knievel – all had one thing in common. Capes. At first, that realization disturbed me. Then I got over it. Don’t judge me.
67. I think it’s fun to scare people.
68. I was embarrassed to go to my junior prom because I had a HUGE zit between my nose and upper lip which had its own zip code. I went, but I was extremely self-conscious about it. I'm pretty sure it was visible from the hubble telescope.
69. I love to swim.
70. I don’t like to hear recordings of myself.
71. I played snare drum and saxophone in marching band (not at the same time.)
72. I think the iPod is one of the greatest inventions of the last twenty years.
73. Other than worship, one of my main passions if Biblical Leadership.
74. When I’m eating a meal, I ration my food to make sure that my last bite always contains equal portions of each item. Example: If I’m eating a burger and fries, I won’t eat all of my burger and then all of my fries. I eat them together, little by little, until I have a few fries left to eat with my last bite of burger.
75. I HATE when people around me talk during movies.
76. The loudest concert I’ve ever attended is Aerosmith.
77. I wish I played lead guitar.
78. I’ve considered leaving the United States to serve as a missionary in a foreign country.
79. I don't like to waste time and I don't like having my time wasted by other people.
80. I tend to procrastinate. I’ve been meaning to attend a support group for it, but ...
81. As a boy, I spent a lot of time playing in the woods.
82. I drink too many soft drinks.
83. I love bologna sandwiches with mayonnaise.
84. I’ve been watching the NFL for about ten years.
85. I’m not very mechanically inclined. I do well to put oil and gas in my car.
86. I’m also not very handy around the house. I’m much more Tim Taylor than Al Borland.
87. One of my favorite pieces of classical music is Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major, "Pastoral".
88. When I was growing up, some of my favorite TV shows were: The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, Batman, The Partridge Family, The Monkees, Fantasy Island, The Andy Griffith Show and Night Stalker.
89. Brian Regan (comedian) makes me laugh out loud.
90. I know all the words to School House Rock’s, “I’m Just a Bill”.
91. I have way too much clutter in my life.
92. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition always makes me cry.
93. I still think of myself as someone in his 20’s. My body doesn’t share the sentiment.
94. I got all straight A+’s in the third grade.
95. If I could have a cup of coffee with anyone (past or present), it would probably be Jimmy Stewart.
96. Both of my grandfather’s were coal miners. Both died of complications from Black Lung Disease.
97. In college, I earned extra money by playing in coffee shops, clubs and bars. Someone once threw beer on me for singing “Amazing Grace” in a bar.
98. I can be critical, cynical and melancholy.
99. I had a ponytail for eight years. At its longest, it ran down the length of my back. I donated it to “Locks of Love”.
100. It’s largely unimportant to me what other people think of me. Naturally, I’d love it if everyone liked me, but I know that’s unrealistic. If some people don’t like me, I’m OK with that. I'm mainly interested in pleasing God.