The Essential Bottom Line…

…life is crazy around CTI right now.  I feel like that is just the state that we always exist in around here, but I think that’s ok.  I thrive on living a hectic life.

I got the opportunity to play drums last night for the first time in a long time and I cannot believe how great it felt.  I had been playing a lot at home, but not much on my own kit.  Last night I got to set my own drums up and spend about 2 hours jamming; very cathartic to say the least.

Lastly, here’s a quote that I am using as the basis for some things I am developing right now for the fulltime program.  It’s from Richard Foster’s book Life With God ( 17, emphasis added):

“Now, the Spiritual Disciplines in and of themselves have no merit whatsoever. They possess no righteousness, contain no rectitude. Their purpose – their only purpose – is to place us before God. After that they have come to the end of their tether. But it is enough. Then, the grace of God steps in and takes this simple offering of ourselves and creates out of it the kind of person who embodies the goodness of God; indeed, a person who can come to the place of truly loving even enemies”

Here is a video update of the things that I have been doing for the first few weeks of my time here at CTI Music Ministries.

This my first attempt at moblogging. mainly, I am just testing it out to see how it works! More to come…

Hi everyone!  I am finally starting to get settled in up here in Willmar, MN.  I started working at CTI almost a week ago and I have hit the ground running!  Life should come down briefly once the three teams we are currently training head out for their respective overseas tours.

Here is a video that shows my new office.  Thought you all might like to see where I am working.

My schedule for my first official day working at CTI:

Pick up Taiwain team from airport at approx. 3:00pm, drive 2.5 hours back to Willmar, drop off team.

Turn around drive 2.5 hours back to airport to pick up Trinidad team at 11:00pm, drive 2.5 hours back to Willmar, drop off team.

It’s going to work out to around a 15-16 hour day to start things off.  Nothing like hitting the ground running.

P.S. I am planning on posting a Video Blog about my trip up here, but I am having some technical difficulties, so be on the look-out for that soon!

As I was leaving camp (after having been there for a week; spending much of the week out of touch with the outside world) my phone lit up with text messages and voice messages about this.

I’m glad that everyone is alright.  It is surreal to watch a place that you know very well (and are preparing to move to) on the national news.

…before I take off for the week.

1. I love making lists and crossing stuff off of them.

2. My church people are amazing.

3. I miss my full-time team.

4. I got to hang out with a dear, dear friend late last week.

5. Seabird is amazing live.

6. So is Deas Vail.

7. I am going to be teaching Junior High Boys about the Holy Spirit for a week.  Pray for me!

I’m gone for the week, so I’ll see y’all this weekend!

….the people at my church just blow me away.  They give so sacrificially without hesitation.  It is inspiring.

In that regard, I am raising support again.  It is a difficult place to be, because it requires such deep trust, but it is a great place to be, because it constantly reaffirms God’s faithfulness.

Alright everyone, I am ecstatic to present to you Shawn Wood’s next stop on his Blog Tour. Here you go!

Thanks Shawn for doing this!

Paul: So I guess the first question that I would have is that I see a lot of Pomegranate stuff now…in Starbuck, in the Grocery store…I think that there is even a Pomegranate ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s, but what do pomegranates have to do with a Christian Book and why 200 – that just seems excessive?

Shawn: Hopefully the book will be as good as the Starbucks Pomegranate tea they used to have. They should bring that back! The story of the pomegranates in I Kings was a story that I heard a pastor speak on in the early 1990’s. For some reason it just stuck with me that this guy Hurum spent a ton of time carving pomegranates and lily work into the top of the columns of Solomon’s temple. I actually processed this book in my head for 15 years as I thought about what our lives could look like if we were to live as artist who were carrying out the details of our lives towards an audience of One. So the pomegranates (200 of them on each column by the way) that Hurum carved can be a symbol of our children who we are instructing, spreadsheets at work we are entering data into, a friend who we are helping come to grips with life’s tragedy or even being a drummer. The point is that each of us are artists and have an opportunity to create a life of influence.

>> I am a musician and fancy myself a kind-of-creative guy and a lot of my readers are as well. What will this book have to say to us?

Well, a part the book is that we all work in the “creative field” and that we need to redefine what creative is… the key of creating anything of value is found in taking two of the first of five steps that we see Hurum taking. We “Get Great at Something”, then we “Do something”. I know for me working with a team of artists I see them constantly honing their skills, learning new techniques and continuing to become great. The hardest step for any artist though is actually doing something. When the big project comes really jumping off and going for it completely. Huram not only was a great artist, but when opportunity came he was ready to pounce on it – risking failure and possible rejection – to accomplish something of great worth.

>> So what would the end result of the book be for you?

First, I would hope everyone could echo this quote:

“I laughed a little, then I cried a little, then I laughed some more and cried some more.”
Shawn’s Mom

At the end of the book I have a prayer that I would hope would be the heart-beat of someone who had read, experienced and responded to the stories and scripture presented in this book:

God, I pray that you would remind me that you created me for a life of meaning and influence, ultimately to bring you fame. I pray that you would continue this work in me in me and hone my skills, talents and spiritual gifts in such a way that you would be honored by my greatness. As I walk in this journey, God, I pray that you would show me what to do, teaching me what the passion of my life should be. Along that journey, I pray that you would allow me to have the courage and the integrity to do something meaningful with my life. Lord, teach me to see the needs of others as you see them, and to invest in your other people your prized possessions. When I do this, I pray that it would be a beacon that shines on you. God, as I do these things I pray that you would be my audience. That my love and adoration would be for you and that you alone would get my praise. And lastly, God, allow me the grace to finish the race well. I look forward to seeing you and hearing you say, “well done.” Lord, give me your strength to finish strong in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Having gotten a chance to read a sample of the book (which I posted on my blog yesterday) I just want to say to my blogging audience out there that this is a book that I will be reading come September. I cannot wait to get a copy and I hope that it gets in as many hands as possible.

>> When will I be able to pick it up and how can I help spread the word?

The Book will be available in September of 2008. In fact I am so excited to be releasing the book at Granger Church’s Innovate conference. It will be available through Abingdon press through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or as they say in the biz, wherever fine books are sold. You can also find out more information and help spread the word on www.200pomegranates.com. I would really appreciate it if you readers would use one of the handy spread the word widgets…that would be awesome!

I am also going to having an Amazon Book Bomb in September so look for more info on that on Twitter or my blog.

You can follow my blog at www.shawnsblogspot.com

Or follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/shawnwood

Thanks so much Paul for letting me have a few hundred words of your time! Carve Pomegranates!

Alright everybody…I am going to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for Shawn Wood to promote his new book.  Here is a sample chapter for you to peruse if you want to prepare in advance.  It is WELL worth the read, and will just leave you salivating for the rest of the book!

200poms