Here's my autographed CD cover!

Reuben Morgan's Solo Project

I came across Reuben Morgan's solo project and purchased it from Australia. I really like it. Reuben currently has 69 songs registered with CCLI, three in the Top 100. These songs are more personal (written from one's own point of view rather than meant for corporate worship) and

"Now in his 11th year with Hillsong Church in Sydney where, as a pastor, he has played a key role in the world-renowned worship team, Morgan is one of the most prominent Christian song-writers on the face of the earth today, having written a swag of songs including My Redeemer Lives, I Give You My Heart, You Said and Touching Heaven, Changing Earth."
-SightMagazine

http://www.sightmagazine.com.au/stories/Features/morgan29.3.05.htm

The title cut, "World Through Your Eyes" has been at #2 the past 14 weeks it's been on the Christian
charts in Australia.

You can purchase charts from his site and I even found an arrangement someone has done here of the title track, if you have the scorch plug-in. You can purchase the CD from his website, from Hillsong, and other online retailers. Don't forget about the exchange rate between Australia and the US.. A listing of $29.92au is about $20us.

The Chapman Family

Chinagirl

For years now, Tracy and I have pondered adopting a baby girl from China. Well... I guess my heart has been captured! The thought of living in a land where males are honored (and desired to carry on the family name), where each family is only allowed one child, and where adoption is illegal, leads to such tragedy. Stories are told of a places where each morning at sunrise, the nuns go to find the baby girls (and some boys with deformities) placed at the base of a mountain. According to a story in the Grand Rapids Press, 95% of the children in orphanages in China are baby girls.

Maybe someday we will be able to adopt. In the meantime, I would encourage anyone who can to support Shaohannah’s Hope, founded by Steven and Mary Beth Chapman. You can give a one-time gift or support them $20 a month, as their foundation helps people with the cost of adoption. An international adoption takes about a year and costs around $15,000. Continue to pray for countless babies lost due to governmentally mandated abortions.

Driving to Iceland

Our friends, the Carders, came through a couple of weeks ago. They were "driving" from Las Vegas enroute to Iceland, where they will be stationed for two years with the air force. I was reading Amy's blog and reflecting on how God moves us around, not always with our own blessing or understanding.

Before she posts some beautiful pictures, she writes...

I'm really not enjoying this place. I'm sure there is a reason why God sent us here, I'm just waiting patiently for the answer. It's not like I'm so miserable and depressed that I cry everyday or don't want to get out of bed. I just want my friends to be here with me. These people here aren't my people and from the looks of things they won't ever by my people. I'm just praying that God will give us a place. I really don't need any friends; I have plenty (and I have a Las Vegas number to call them on). There are plenty of ways to "get involved" here, but you know me; I'm not much for the casual "get involved". Blah, blah blah.... that’s enough of my whining. It’s late and I'm not making sense.

"I'm just praying God will give us a place." I believe that is the heart of most prayer; that God would make a space in this world that only we and He can fill together. God will show himself and make a place for you. I pray it is soon. You are loved.

My Best Friend

My arm is tired.
You see, I've been dragging around a dead horse for the past nine months.
That will make your arm tired.

I often beat that dead horse.
I beat it and beat it.
It never responds

And yet, somehow I must believe there is purpose in the beating.
Maybe I feel better because of it.
Maybe frustration is my best friend.

We now instigate meetings about the horse.
How the horse ought to be.
How the horse should be.
How I wish it were.

It gets more difficult to determine if the horse is getting better.
We take its pulse often.
Hold a mirror to its nose.

The Dr. says, at times, he see signs of improvement.
Hope is regailed.
Maybe today.

Today I decided to let go of the horse.
I still look toward the the day the horse is more stallion than anchor.
I am hopeful.

I will just walk without my hands on the reins.
I will watch and wait.

Need to download an arrangement/lead sheet?

To all the Worship Leaders out there looking for downloadable arrangements for their worship teams (especially if you use horns or orchestral instruments), check out a new site by Word Music Now. They've got the catalgues for WorshipTogether.com, Vineyard Music, Maranatha!, and Word, of course. Unfortunately, you can only print the file from the computer from which you purchased the music. (see Trick below) At some point, you just have to trust your customer.

I've also got to plug Dan Galbraith and PraiseCharts. Dan's arrangements are always sound great and are accessible by our volunteers. He often has full worship albums complete by the time they hit the street. We use a lot of Lakewood and Hillsong stuff from there. Thanks, Dan!

SongSelect is another "go to" for me. We've got the membership and can download lead sheets of tons of songs. It's also a great resource to hear clips and find which album a worship song is from.

HERE'S A GREAT TRICK!
Most of us are familiar with PDFs (a universal file format that prints the way the document looked, whether PC or Mac). Our PC's running XP have a "printer" called Microsoft Document Imaging. If you hit “print” and choose the Microsoft Document Imaging “virtual printer” you can save an image of document. MDI is Microsoft's PDF. If you "print" to MDI, it will open a copy of the music and then you can save in a folder where you keep arrangements. Anyone on your network can open these files. If you want, you can then "print" it as a PDF, if you have a PDF conversion program like DeskPDF.

Thanks, Randy

What a blast to get a mention on Randy's site. I'm getting hits from all over the world (Australia, Iceland [Hey, Carders], England, and the US). I sent a link to my brother, Damon, of Randy's church's service of 3/6/05. He was blown away (as was I)! You should check it out.

They are blazing the trail for online service viewing, with quality camera work, presentation, and a separate broadcast audio mix (not a house-board mix). Our church is hoping to move this direction in the coming year.

Think You Manage Creativity? Here's Why You're Wrong

What a great article by the Harvard Business School. If you're an artist in an "accounting world" (business or ministry), you'll feel well understood.

The teaser says:
The rational rules of management don't apply when it comes to fostering creative types. In this Harvard Business Review excerpt, the author explains why you should, among other things, encourage creative workers to defy superiors.

Finally! The key question becomes do organizations really want to foster creative types? What do you think?

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=2712&t=career_effectivbensss&noseek=one

My New Happily Pagan Gay Woman Friend from Seattle

I made a new friend this week. We met each other by surprise. She has the same name as someone on my worship team, who gave up an email address two years ago, picked up by my new friend in Seattle.

I had sent out an email to certain members of my team to check their availability to help lead our Easter services. Imagine my surprise when I get in the office and read this email from "one of my teammates..."

Ok, I don't know who you are, nor do I give a rats rump about your easter services.

I would appreciate it, however, if you would tell who ever gave you this e-mail address to STOP GIVING IT OUT SINCE IT OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T BELONG TO THEM.

Thank you.

Goddess bless,

First Last
A Happily pagan gay woman in Seattle.

--I’ve finally figured out that being male is the same thing, more or less, as having a personality disorder.
—writer Carol Shields

From the tone of this email, I'm betting "First" doesn't consider me a friend. I replied to her the next day (having instructed our IT team to remove the old address). I was light and apologizing. Yet, her email begged a question.

I kindly responded to her email with sincere apology and a promise to correct the problem...

Sincerely,

Darrell Adcock
PS. You've got me curious. What makes you happy?

I don't think it takes great maturity of a discernment gift to detect a bit of anger and fear in her reply. I hope she responds. She truly is curious to me.

What in her past formed her opinion of men? How does she define happiness? What in her life brings such a vehiment response to an obviously harmless mistake?

I pray for you, happily pagan gay women in Seattle. You are so happy, you may never know me as friend.

Shout Out to my CG "Homies"

Just wanted to greet my community group friends. It has been cool to see how diverse we are, and yet able to share a meal, figure out God's word, and share some of the stuff in our life.

I'm just starting to let others know I have a blog. It's really kinda' weird having a "public diary" the whole world can see (not that the whole world will care! Hah!), but it does give me an opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings. For an introvert, it is a safe place share and let people in.

If you have driven by this site, add a comment and let me know.

-D

If you are an artist, you love Randy Elrod

I met Randy a few weeks ago. He and his wife hosted a conference in which Hugh Hewitt was speaking on blogging and challenged Randy to start. He has and his blog is awesome.

It's really a place of respit for me and my wife. His wonderful artwork, creative thinking and breazy style make for an easy, addictive read.

Read Ethos at http://randyelrod.typepad.com/

My favorite blue van

About three weeks ago, Tracy and I were in Franklin, TN for a worship leaders forum with Randy Elrod. Just before we left, we got an out-of-the-blue call that refinanced our house (giving us no house payment in March) and the same day our (only) car broke down. The Lord giveth; the Lord taketh away! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

While on our trip, Tracy and I were praying together (as we're doing more often lately). I basically asked/told God we needed another car, didn't have the money for one, and needed someone to give us one.

I got a call a couple of days ago. A coworker of a friend of a friend had been given a '93 Caravan and didn't need it anymore and felt he should "pay it forward"; as it had been done to him. He called.

Today Parker and I took our "new" van, vacuumed it out and drove it through the carwash. Our car should be fixed Monday or Tuesday. Sometimes I think God is just waiting for us to sincerely ask him specifically for what we need. I guess He truly does want to give his children good gifts.

Thanks, God. Thanks coworker for sharing the Love.

Welcome from a Newbie

Just got back from a worship leader forum in Franklin, TN. Hugh Hewitt was there and spoke on blogging. Thought I'd give it a try.

I hope to share some thoughts/questions I have on worship, life, etc., and that people will consider and respond.

More later,

D