Thanksgiving 2011

Almost 4 months since my last blog post tells me I have been (like every person I know) too busy. In my e-mail to my choir yesterday, I told them that my Thanksgiving list would fill the Nashville area phone book.

Here are some highlights:

I AM THANKFUL FOR.......

1. getting to watch my family grow, learn, love, and make sense of life with God

2. the grace extended to me as I figure out how to serve God in the same church for 18 years while it grows well beyond my capacity to keep up

3. the new people that God has brought (and is bringing) to our team who will help accomplish the mission and vision of our church

4. the opportunity that God has given me to spend time with and encourage new friends/co-laborers in ministry (outside of my church) that I have met this past year who are weary, burdened, and ready to quit

5. the privilege of praying for friends in need

6. my mom and her love of life, God, His Church, and her compassion for everyone around her

7. the importance of being counseled and the privilege of offering counsel when asked

8. the daily reminder of how fragile life really is and how important it is to make each moment count

9. my wife's love, her love for our kids/grandkids, and her passion and gift for teaching/writing what God is teaching her so that others can benefit from that

10. people who know way more than I know, people who have lived longer than I have lived, people who are younger than I am, and people who care more deeply (than I sometimes do) about the things that matter most - it's those people who remind me that God is still at work and I better pay attention.......

The BEST Thing About Plot Device

To say that the past 27 days (for our family) have been the wildest of wild rides would be a huge understatement.

When RED GIANT launched Seth’s short film, PLOT DEVICE on-line at the end of the day on Tuesday, June 28, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the whirlwind of activity and attention that would surround this film. Having never experienced anything like this, I am pretty much numb. As a good friend told me recently, “regardless of what may or may not happen for Seth and/or others as a result of this, just enjoy it - ride the wave for as long as it will last….”

So, I decided to blog about it and call it “The BEST Thing About Plot Device” - because as you will see, there are plenty of things that have happened that could be the “best” thing, but I have selected what I believe is without question THE Best thing about Plot Device.

Before I get to that, here are some pretty significant “honorable mentions”…..

1. More than 200 different websites have featured Plot Device on their main page

2. Among my favorites are THIS ONE and THIS ONE, and THIS ONE!

3. Seth and Ben’s response to THIS WEBSITE that tracks “pirated” (illegal) music downloads when they learned this site was tracking illegal downloads of the Plot Device Soundtrack - “wow - that’s so awesome that we are getting ripped-off!” - (don’t ask - I don’t get it either!)

4. More than 520,000 views of Plot Device on VIMEO - (and another 29,000 on YouTube)

5. More than 500 different people (with well over 2 million combined followers) have tweeted about Plot Device on Twitter

6. Seth’s recent trip to Los Angeles where he met with representatives from (7) different talent agencies in Hollywood and the trip culminating in finding out that a very high profile TV/Film Producer watched Plot Device, loved it, and wants to meet with Seth!

OK - so all of that is pretty awesome and could easily be the BEST thing about Plot Device, but what follows is absolutely THE best thing about Plot Device:

Ben recently received this e-mail from a 9-year old boy:

Thursday, July 21, 2011 - 6:22pm

Dear Mr. Worley,

I am nine years old and a fan. I decided to make a Lego Plot Device scene and show it to you. I hope you like it. I like your short films! My Dad is sending this for me and he likes your films too.

Best,
Alex
(last name omitted in this blog post out of respect for this boy and his family)

P.S. I hope you will share this with Seth Worley (we couldn't find an email address for him).

BEN’S RESPONSE TO ALEX
Hey Alex!

OH. MY. GOSH.
I can't tell you how much this means to me. This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I actually used to play with Legos as a kid! I would always buy the star wars Lego sets and then combine them to make cooler ones. I also had Lego Studios AND most of the Harry Potter sets!

Anyways, I want you to know that this is HANDS DOWN the best email I've ever received.

Thank you so much for being what I believe to be my first real fan. Don't ever give up your Legos, they will ALWAYS be cool.

And you will always be cool.

God Bless,
Ben Worley

Here is a photo of 9-year old Alex’s Lego Plot Device scene - AMAZING - and by far, THE BEST thing about Plot Device

Plot Device

During the weekend of March 4-6, our oldest son, Seth (along with a cast and crew of some 20 people) invaded not only our home, but our quiet cul-de-sac to make his latest short film entitled, PLOT DEVICE.

BACKGROUND
Seth was contacted by RED GIANT (a company that makes products/software for filmmakers) to create a short film featuring some of RED GIANT's products.

Seth wrote and directed the film. His friends, Neil Hoppe (Producer) and Jeff Venable (Director of the "Behind The Scenes" feature) added to the process. Our youngest son, Ben plays the leading role in the film, and he (along with his friend, Jake Finch) composed and recorded ALL of the music used in the film. (I love this photo of Ben hard at work in a recent recording session)

SYNOPSIS
The story-line of PLOT DEVICE is a kid (Ben Worley) who is interested in a filmmaking book, and is looking on-line to purchase it, when he sees another product called “Plot Device” that interests him. He orders both, and the story unfolds with him going to his mailbox to retrieve the book, but he is more interested in the “device.” He quickly learns that pressing the button on the device literally transports him into the middle of a variety of different genre of film.

PREMIERE
Seth tells me that the "official on-line launch" of PLOT DEVICE takes place on Tuesday, June 28 @ 11:00am (CDT).

To view PLOT DEVICE (and the wonderful "Behind The Scenes" feature), click HERE

Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

This morning in Sunday School, my grandson was asked these questions about his Dad.

His answers are.....well.....priceless!

Please Do It Better Than Me

I don't even know if that is correct grammar. I am certain Karla will correct me!

Tonight, I sent an e-mail to one of the people I consider a "next generation leader" - a dear friend and partner in ministry. I talked about alot of stuff I am dealing with. I did that because everyone in ministry has to have someone to whom they can "vent"......

Through the years, I have heard the phrase quoted in a somewhat jokingly but serious manner - "ministry would be great if it were not for the people."

I know that is such a dumb phrase, but goodness, it is so true.

I need to learn more from Jesus on how he dealt with the people.

People mess everything up. People make everything happen. People get in the way. People make the way. People discourage you. People encourage you.

You can't do ministry without people.

Ministry is the constant dealing with every conceivable relational experience involving people.

So, after spending a considerable amount of time describing my current state of feelings regarding a particular aspect of my ministry, I ended my "rant/vent" with these words.......

I pray that you will learn from this.
I pray that you will "do it better than me."

Each day that I live, I am reminded of my priority to do whatever I have to do to make sure those who walk after me not only learn from me, but do it better than me.

32 Years!

Today I celebrate being married to Karla Ruth Cox for 32 years.

On the one hand, "it's just another year we have been married" - on the other hand, "comparitively speaking, we have been married for a pretty long time."

When asked about his relationship/marriage to his wife, a friend replied in this manner, "I have been married for 35 years......32 of the happiest years of my life."

I love his honesty.

How does one live 11,680 days together with the same person and not deal with adversity, frustration, financial stress, anger, pain, fear, insecurity, boredom, intimacy issues, the monumental task of raising kids, and even have doubts in general about marriage? I don't know the answer or answers to that question. I just know that God has allowed something to happen in my relationship to Karla that keeps us moving forward living life together.

So on this rainy Thursday with nothing spectacular being planned, we "celebrate" our 32nd Wedding Anniversary. When talking about how we wanted to celebrate, Karla's response was "all I want to do is sit across the table from you and talk"......

Maybe that's part of the answer to staying in love with the same person "til death do us part."

Two Fives

Today is Karla Ruth Cox Worley's 55th birthday!

I am glad she was born, and so are my (3) sons, daughter-in-law, grandson, and yet-to-enter-this-world second grandbaby!

Last night when Elliott asked me how old I was, I told him. He then asked Karla (Lala) how old she was, and she told him that her birthday is today and that she will be 55. His eyes lit up, and I told him "two fives" - he held up both hands, fingers spread, palms facing Karla and said "two fives, Lala."

So today is "two fives" day for my sweet wife.

I am grateful that God made you!

Happy Birthday!

BTW - in this photo from a recent fun evening where she got to hang out with some neat girl friends, she "holds her own" among these young ladies half her age!!!

From Ghost To Smoke Monster

It's always fun to hear about/discover the latest stuff created by your kids.

Beginning with their first time they color a picture of you that for the life of you you cannot figure out how it resembles you, to that school project where they have to "track their life" in photos and articles and paste it to a piece of poster board that you had to go to (3) different stores at 11:00pm the night before to find, to the annual "what will I be for Halloween" this year (in this photo, he just wanted to be a ghost - well, a ghost wearing Mickey Mouse ears!)......over and over again, more and more "here's what I've created lately" moments followed.

This week I learned of Seth's (our oldest) latest "here's what I've created moment."

I know I am dabbling (is that a word?) in borderline dangerously "parental prideful" territory with this, but after viewing this, I was pretty amazed at this "making of"......

I'm his Dad - I am supposed to be amazed, and well - I am. You may view it kinda like "the making of a clock"...... If that's you, then I recommend watching the first 1:40, then skip over Seth's tutorial to near the end - 11:25.

However, I have to say that if I had had teachers like Seth Worley explaining things to me in the classroom in the way he explained how he created this video, I might have paid closer attention in class!

So, we never know what is next for our kids, but for now, I enjoy this and I share it with those of you who have 5-13 minutes to watch something funny, interesting, and entertaining.

Click HERE, then click on the photo of the smoke in the chair!

BTW - you don't have to be a LOST fan to enjoy this - take it from one who knows......

The Real (Better) Sports Story This Week In Nashville

I seldom blog about things like this, but I always want to be one who gives credit when credit is due.

If you follow sports at all, then you have read everything and heard everything this week about Bud Adams (owner of the Tennessee Titans NFL Football Team) and his decision to release QB Vince Young and therefore keep Head Coach, Jeff Fisher. The on-going, doing-their-best-to-keep-it-under-control feud had reached its limit with the end of the regular season, and something had to give.

Well, if you live in the Middle Tennessee area, that is pretty much ALL you are hearing about this week in the world of sports, and understandably so - the media loves (and creates) controversy in the limelight of professional sports and such controversy often produces drama, and we all know it's drama that makes headlines.

For me - the real (and yes better) sports story of this week wasn't/isn't about an arguably immature professional QB, his Head Coach and their boss.

It's about a man who reached an incredible milestone this week!

Belmont University Men's Basketball coach, Rick Byrd joined a select group with his Belmont Bruins' latest victory giving him his 500th victory at that school.

Belmont beat Stetson 70-53 on the road Wednesday night for Byrd's 500th victory at a program that jumped from NAIA to NCAA Division I under his tenure.

He is one of five active head coaches at that mark, joining Jim Boeheim of Syracuse (844), Mike Krzyzewski of Duke (809), Jim Calhoun of Connecticut (586) and Sacred Heart's Dave Bike (500).

Stop and read that last paragraph!

In a day and time when it's all about the money, better opportunities, championships, and so much more "ladder-climbing" - this man has spent 24 years consistently coaching Belmont teams to play their absolute best every time they take the court - often with far less skilled players than his opponent, challenged them to excel in the classroom, graduate, and move on to take their place in the world to make a difference.

He is one of the most respected college basketball coaches anywhere.

You don't have to take my word for it - read more HERE

I have never met the man, but I have attended many Belmont basketball games, and I sit close enough to have observed him interact with his team, and more importantly observe how his players respond to him.

Congratulations Coach Byrd! We need more sports stories like this one!